Southern Vermont College 'Abbey' Room - Unique and Haunted Room on Third Floor of Bennington Estate

The Abbey classroom, as seen from outside.

SVC core classes were often held in the cavernous third floor Abbey classroom. With desks and chairs for maybe 40 students, it was the closest Southern Vermont College came to offering big-campus lecture style classes.

Walk From Everett Mansion to Dorms was No Fun During Mud Season (Southern Vermont College Before Shuttle)

Lumbering down the hill on a muddy day. SVC Fieldhouse in sight.

Bennington weather isn't exactly shrouded in mystery. Those of us who attended Southern Vermont College are painfully aware of the hot summers (third floor dorms, anyone?), bone chilling winters, and muddy springs. Such is life on the mountain.

Imposing Everett Mansion Gates Inspired Generations of Southern Vermont College Students

Wrought iron gates of the Everett Mansion, late 1990's.

While on their journey to higher education, SVC students passed through these distinctive gates multiple times each day. The sense of pride when entering the Everett Manion's cobblestoned courtyard cannot be understated - it was like walking into Harvard Yard, only 100X better. 

Everett Mansion Turret Section a Fitting Place for SVC President's Office (Bennington, VT Architecture)

 

Everett Mansion turret housed SVC president's office.

SVC's halls of education were shepherded from the turret portion of the Everett Mansion. The bottom floor housed the President's Meeting Room (PMR) while the Office of the President was upstairs. 

Fit for royalty, the imposing turret space was an appropriate setting for the leader of SVC to hold high profile meetings, contemplate the next academic degree program, or simply take a moment of refuge from an exceedingly demanding job.

SVC's Everett Mansion - 'The Orchards' - Bennington's Version of Hogwarts School

 

The Everett Mansion on a fall day, Bennington, VT.

We slept in stucco dorms meant for the tropics of Florida but attended class in a 27-room Beaux-Arts mansion that had a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. 

The Everett Mansion was an architectural masterpiece every SVC student was intensely proud of. Resembling a castle or monastery, the 'The Orchards' was easily the most prominent building on campus. 

Thankfully, SVC was a laid-back environment, and it wasn't uncommon for students to attend class in their pajamas. The Everett Mansion may have resembled Hogwarts School, but we were a much less formal bunch.

SVC Bookmark Features Southern Vermont College (Bennington) Mission Statement During Administration of President Karen Gross (Showcasing Everett Mansion Gothic Sconce)

SVC bookmark featuring mission statement.

SVC's mission statement was revised sometime during President Karen Gross's administration. This SVC bookmark features the College's updated mission statement with the Everett Mansion's gothic style sconce as a backdrop. 

Bookmark Featuring Everett Mansion 'Hand' Sconce - one of SVC's Spooky Architectural Accessories.

Hand shaped sconce, Everett Mansion.

First time visitors to Southern Vermont College were magnetically drawn to the Everett Mansion's mysterious hand shaped sconce. 

Eerily fashioned in the human form, the sconce never failed to arouse a sense of intrigue. This bookmark was sent to SVC supporters after an Annual Fund campaign some years ago. A fitting addition to my finest volume!

 

A Beautiful Sketch of the Everett Mansion Accompanies Each SVC Diploma - a Magical Combination Indeed!

Pen and ink drawing of the Everett Mansion, SVC.

After graduation, my Southern Vermont College diploma sat concealed on a shelf for years, obscured by books and carrying a thin layer of dust. And then the greatest tragedy in American higher education took place - the closing of SVC.

Sad and emotional, I took a trip down memory lane and held the diploma in my hands for the first time in a dog's age.

Remembering SVC with Each Spot of Tea! (Office of Residential Life, Southern Vermont College)

Office of Residential Life mug, Southern Vermont College.

This vintage SVC mug dates back to the 1998-1999 academic year. SVC Resident Directors had a busy job and most likely drank lots of coffee to keep them going, amongst other beverages. 

The SVC Resident Director had an office on the first floor of Aldis Hall, which also housed the Director of Security, Director of Student Life, and Counseling Services. The SVC switchboard was also behind a desk in the lobby of Aldis Hall. Professionally staffed during the day but manned by work-study students on evenings and weekends, switchboard shifts were regarded as a prized assignment.