Surprises Highlight Stuart Hall Dedication

She then turned the tables on Stuart, surprising her erstwhile English student with a portrait of her and her dogs. The painting, created by the parent of a recent graduate, Deb Cadenas of Middleburg, will hang in the entrance lobby of the dormitory. Stuart received a “study” to take home to Longmont, CO.

Earlier, Dr. Maria Eagen, Chair of Foxcroft’s Science Department, and Vivian T., a senior from Taipei and Student Head of School, spoke about the educational opportunities to which Stuart referred when making her stunning offer of college scholarships.

“The construction of Stuart Hall afforded us a unique opportunity to educate and inspire our students,” said Eagen of Project Green Build, the living learning program led by the project engineers and architects through which 26 students learned all aspects of creating such a building. “Our students learned about topics from footers to finishing touches and everything in between. The inspiring part is that they learned by doing. They went outside and dug footers, laid brick, and toured the construction site. . . It was outstanding.”

Clifton “Chip” R. Gruver, Jr., chair of the Board’s Building and Grounds Committee, thanked the architects, Hord Coplan Macht; contractors Forrester Construction Company of Rockville, MD, and Business Manager Deborah Anderson for their hard work and dedication to the project. “I am proud to report that this building was completed on schedule, on budget, and with no debt,” Gruver said. “Which is phenomenal.”

Rev. Robert L. Banse, Jr., of Trinity Church in Upperville, VA, gave an eloquent blessing, asking among other things that the dormitory’s hallways be constantly filled with laughter, anger and tears be met with with compassion, and “When conversations turn to the subject of boys, horses, the meaning of life, or any other topic of major import, clear and honest truth and wisdom prevail.”

Following the ceremony, all present were invited to tour the 26,000-square-ft. building -- Foxcroft's third new building in five years and first “LEED-certified “green” edifice. Stuart Hall uses geothermal wells for efficient heating and cooling, and regional and recycled materials for many of its components. An interactive “energy dashboard” that was created by students working with Lucid Technology and Anderson hangs in the front hall, enabling students and visitors to monitor the building’s water and power use, and the local weather. It also has information about Foxcroft’s green practices, tips for going green, and a video about how the Foxcroft Go Green logo came into being.