At the "State of the College" event Thursday, March 19, President Jane Fernandes announced that the College plans to restore Antioch Hall, with renovations already underway. (Submitted photo)
Antioch College announces plans to restore Antioch Hall
- Published: March 19, 2026
At its “State of the College” event Thursday, March 19, Antioch College announced the launch of an initiative to restore Antioch Hall — also known as Main Building — with renovations now underway.
Constructed in 1852–53 and located at the center of the campus “horseshoe,” Antioch Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has long served as a central symbol of the college’s identity and mission.
The building has remained unused since the college’s 2008 closure, leaving it dormant for more than 15 years. In 2019 and 2020, the Yellow Springs Community Foundation funded stabilization work and installation of a new boiler, preserving the structure and enabling future restoration efforts.
In her remarks Thursday, President Jane Fernandes announced that renovations have already begun to reopen and reoccupy the building.
“Few buildings carry a memory and spirit of a college in the way Main Building does at ANtioch College. … For years, I and many of you have looked at the building and imagined what it could become,” Fernandes said. “When Main Building opens again, it will not simply be a restored building; it will be Antioch’s next chapter, written in brick, light and possibility.”
Following the announcement, architect Earl Reeder, of Earl Reeder and Associates, presented an update on plans ahead and work already completed. Three phases of renovation are expected, with the goal of opening the building for use in phase 1, opening Kelly Hall auditorium in phase 2 and opening the building’s towers in phase 3. Reeder said the first phase of renovation — which, according to a press release from the college, was funded in January via a large gift from a donor and includes decontamination and remediation of the building’s towers, installation of measures to prevent bird entry and resolution of emergency egress requirements — is nearly finished.
“We’re down to the point where the only things left to do to open [the building] are to do some lighting upgrades on the first floor and put in some fire extinguishers,” Reeder said. “We’re this close.”
The college has secured partial funding for the second phase, restoring the 670-seat Kelly Hall, completing plumbing upgrades to bring second-floor restrooms back online and installing an elevator to ensure accessibility.
To complete that phase, the college will launch a public fundraising campaign, including naming opportunities such as individual seats in Kelly Hall. More than half of the funding for the second phase has already been secured, with a target completion date of fall 2026.
Read more about the “State of the College” event in next week’s issue of the News.
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