Shoebox dorms to be demolished

This May, UVM will begin the demolition of three of its oldest residence halls: Chittenden, Buckham and Wills.

This project will make way for some large changes on both the University’s Central campus and at the neighboring University of Vermont Medical Center.

Though the the construction will allow for a more contemporary, progressive campus environment, the demolition will also result in the loss of a major part of UVM history, according to a video by the UVM Alumni Association.

Constructed in 1947, the buildings give students, mainly first-years, a taste for one of the most antiquated living situations on campus, according to the video.

“The 150 square feet of 1950s architecture constantly reminded me that there is nothing luxurious about college housing, but it helped me understand that it’s not always where you are, but who you’re with that shapes your first year of college,” said sophomore Melanie Lewis, a resident of Buckham Hall during the 2013-2014 academic year.

The UVM Alumni Association is providing the opportunity for former CBW residents to maintain their connection to the residence halls following their demolition, according to the video.

For $50, alumni can receive a brick recovered from the Shoeboxes, and have half of their contribution donated to the UVM Scholarship Fund.

In addition, the Association is asking past residents of CBW to share some of their memories from their time in the historic residence halls, according to the video.

Chris Ford, a member of the Class of 1995, said he looks back fondly on his first-year experience in the Shoeboxes.

“Some of my best friends, still today, are people that I met at CBW my freshman year…The energy around this place was very special,” Ford said.

The landscape of UVM’s Central campus will look a little different after this summer’s project.