Connecticut College

Connecticut College

Although Connecticut College's current relationship with the city of New London remains tenuous, the historical legacy of these two places are undeniably intertwined. Upon Wesleyan’s decision to stop admitting women in 1909, the people of Connecticut took it upon themselves to provide a higher education pathway for women. Three New London families; the Alexanders, the Branch family, and the Egglestons donated large plots to house the campus. The first structure, New London Hall, was made possible by the donations of countless New London citizens who, to encourage the College’s rapid development, each gave one day’s wage to fund the project. Built for $135,000 using both regional materials and local labor, New London Hall was named for the local residents who had campaigned so actively to first provide a beautiful site for the future campus, and then the means with which to make that campus a reality. This dynamic relationship flourished until the 1970s when large numbers of students were no longer housed in downtown neighborhoods, and eventually students were entirely dissuaded from off campus residence in 2015.

Caitlin Teare

Caitlin Teare