List of Colby College buildings

Colby College overlooks the Kennebec River valley and city of Waterville.

In 2013 Colby became the fourth college in the country to achieve carbon neutrality. Colby uses 100-percent renewable electricity, has 12 LEED-certified buildings (other certifications pending), has geothermal heating and cooling in two buildings, and has a biomass plant that burns sustainably harvested wood to heat most campus buildings.

Academic buildings Building Image Constructed Notes Reference Miller Library 1939 Miller Library is Colby's main library, which stands at the center of campus. Named for the parents of Merton L. Miller and designed by Jens Fredrick Larson, this building was modeled on Dartmouth College's Baker Library, which in turn was inspired in design by Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Miller Library's collection supports all curriculum areas and contains more than 600 print journals, more than 47,000 electronic journals, and domestic and international daily newspapers. It houses the college archives and Special Collections and is a repository for U.S. government and Maine state documents. Recent renovations to Miller Library (2012–15) were designed to create more study and office spaces, restore the library's “grand reading room,” and fashion a more impressive “entry sequence.” Lovejoy 1941 Named for Elijah Parish Lovejoy, an abolitionist and journalist who graduated from Colby's original campus, Waterville College, in 1826. The building is home to several classrooms and a lecture hall. Lovejoy houses the offices of the Departments of Classics, East Asian Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, foreign languages, and Information Technology Services. Runnals/Strider Theater 1942 Named for Robert E. L. Strider and Ninetta May Runnals, this building houses the Theater and Dance Department and the 262-seat Strider Theater. This intimate proscenium-style theater was constructed in 1976 and dedicated in 1977. The Cellar Theater, located below the main lobby in Runnals, is a black-box theater with seating for 55 people used for more intimate theater performances. Keyes 1950 Named after Martin L. Keyes this building houses science and chemistry laboratories, classrooms, faculty offices, support facilities, and the Paul J. Schupf Computational Laboratory. In 1978 a “greenhouse bridge" tying Keyes and Arey together was built, unifying Colby's science complex. Arey Life Sciences Building 1959 The Arey Life Sciences Building houses the Biology Department's offices, teaching and research laboratories, equipment, including transmission and scanning electron microscopes, and computer labs. The department also maintains the Webster Chester collection of biological specimens and models. style="text-align:center;" Bixler Art and Music Center 1959 Named after J. Seelye Bixler, this building is home to the Music and Art departments. The center contains classrooms, studios, practice rooms, Given Auditorium, an electronic music studio, the Art and Music Library, faculty offices, and is connected to the renowned Colby College Museum of Art. The building contains approximately 2,200 reference volumes, 10,000 scores, 30,000 monographs, 11,000 sound recordings, and 1,200 videos alongside study, research, listening, computing, viewing, and classroom space. Colby College Museum of Art1959Founded in 1959 and now comprising five wings, nearly 8,000 works and more than 38,000 square feet of exhibition space, the Colby College Museum of Art has built a collection that specializes in American and contemporary art with additional, select collections of Chinese antiquities and European paintings and works on paper. The museum serves as a teaching resource for Colby College and is a major cultural destination for the residents of Maine and visitors to the state. Seeley G. Mudd Science Building 1975 The building was constructed with a grant from the Seeley G. Mudd Foundation. It is home to the Geology and Physics departments and the Science, Technology, and Society Program. Geology maintains a rock and fossil specimen collection, X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron and high-resolution microscopes, magnetometers, and gravity meters. Physics students work in modern laboratories, including two atomic physics laboratories and a laboratory to study semiconductor materials. The Geology Department is the fourth oldest undergraduate program in the nation and is a repository for maps and publications of the United States Geological Survey. Collins Observatory1988 The Collins Observatory, with its 400-power 14-inch Celestron telescope, was a gift from Anthony Cramer ’62 in memory of his classmate, Lawrence Walker Collins III. After its construction, the observatory became the domain of Murray Campbell, an astrophysicist who began working with students on infrared astronomy in 1981. It was upgraded with National Science Foundation grants that provided computerized controls and high-quality digital imaging capability in 1999, and an astronomy classroom was built adjacent to the observatory. Collins Observatory was moved to its current location, adjacent to the Colby Organic Garden, in 2016. Olin Science Building 1996 Colby was awarded the highly coveted F. W. Olin Foundation grant that provided funds for an entire furnished building. Olin houses collections supporting the departments of biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, geology, mathematics, physics and astronomy. It also a case-study classroom, teaching and research laboratories, a research greenhouse, group study areas for informal student-faculty discussions, and faculty offices. Olin used to include the 10,800-square-foot Olin Science Library, but in 2022 it was repurposed as offices for Greene's Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurship initiatives. A complete collection of U.S. topographic maps and groundwater-monitoring wells are located in the lower level. Diamond Social Sciences Building 2007 With the naming gift provided by Bob Diamond '73, the Diamond Building houses the Anthropology, Economics, Government, and Sociology departments, three interdisciplinary programs (African-American Studies, Environmental Studies, International Studies), and the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement. Davis Science Center 2014 The Davis Science Center is named for the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund, and houses the departments of Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics, and Psychology. The 36,400-square-foot building opened in 2014 and includes a robotics laboratory, a behavioral neuroscience research suite, and shared classrooms and computer labs. The building is LEED certified at the gold level. http://www.colby.edu/news_events/c/pr/120413/2742281/colby-to-receive-10-million-gift-to-support-the-sciences/

Student life buildings Building Image Constructed Notes Reference Lorimer Chapel 1938 Named for George Horace Lorimer; the chapel was the first building constructed on the Mayflower Hill campus. Seating 650, Lorimer is a venue for religious services, lectures, and concerts. It houses the Office of the Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life as well as the small Rose Chapel. It also houses a Walcker Orgelbau pipe organ donated by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Nickerson Carillon tolls the hour from the chapel tower. Roberts Building 1938 The Roberts Building, known to students as “Bobs,” was named after Arthur J. Roberts. Roberts was the student union prior to the construction of Cotter Union. The building houses Roberts dining hall (renovated and expanded in 2006), offices of the Colby Echo, Colby's community radio station, WMHB, and the Pottery Club studio. Administrative departments include the Office of Human Resources and the Security Department. A major renovation in 2015 created student residence rooms on upper floors. Harold Alfond Athletic Center 1994 The Harold Alfond Athletic Center includes the 2,500-seat Wadsworth Gymnasium, the Alfond Ice Rink, and the field house, which encloses an eighth-mile track, four tennis courts, a batting cage, and a climbing wall. The complex includes a 25-yard by 25-meter swimming pool, five international-size squash courts, the Boulos Family Fitness Center, the Carl E. Nelson Physical Therapy Center, saunas, and studio space for yoga and group exercise. Garrison-Foster Building 1976 Named for Fay B. Garrison and Alfred D. Foster. The Garrison-Foster Building is home to the Health Center, Counseling Services, the Business Office, and Student Financial Services. Colby's Health Center is the only college health center in Maine accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. Smith, Earl H. (2006). Mayflower Hill: A History of Colby College. University Press of New England, p231 Cotter Union 1985 Colby's student center, Cotter Union, includes Page Commons (for lectures, performances, and dances), Pulver Pavilion, the Colby Bookstore, the student post office, and the Office of Campus Life. The Pugh Center contains offices for multicultural organizations and meeting space for social and cultural programs. The Joseph Family Spa, a snack bar, is in Pulver Pavilion, and the Marchese Blue Light Pub is upstairs. Opened in 1985, renovated and expanded in 2007–08, Cotter Union is the center of social life on campus, where students meet and hang out. There is a large-screen television and an information desk in Pulver Pavilion, which is a crossroads for pedestrian traffic on campus. Klein Family Tennis Pavilion 1994 Built with donations from Jonas and Phyllis Klein and dedicated in 1994, the Tennis Pavilion sits in the center of the Alfond-Wales Tennis Courts (10 hard-surface courts) and provides a meeting room, bathroom, scoreboard, and veranda.

Administrative and support buildings Building Image Constructed Notes Reference Eustis Building 1959 The Eustis Administration Building houses the Office of the President and offices of Special Programs, dean of students, Dean of Faculty, Registrar, the Career Center, Off-Campus Studies, Vice President for Administration, Scheduling, and Financial Planning. Osborne House 1948 The Osborne House (formerly the President's House) sits above Mayflower Hill Drive at the south end of campus. It was a gift from the Averill family, first occupied by J. Seelye Bixler and family, and has been the home of Colby presidents since 1948. A weathervane adorning the garage's cupola bears a musical staff with the opening notes of Dr. Ermanno Comparetti's Mayflower Hill Concerto. The house was renamed Osborne House in 2017 to honor the family of Samuel Osborne who was born into slavery but made his way to Waterville. He worked as Colby's custodian for nearly 40 years. His daughter Marion was the first African-American woman to graduate for Colby, in 1900. Mayflower Hill, A History of Colby College, Earl H. Smith, University Press of New England, 2006, p. 59 Millett House 1965 The Millet Alumni house was named after Bill Millett ’25, who served as the alumni secretary of the College. A classical New England structure on the edge of campus, the house, modeled after the old library in nearby China Village, was purchased by the Alumni Council in 1966. It is used for College events and contains faculty offices. Physical Plant Department 1982 Responsible for buildings and grounds, the Physical Plant department has its headquarters, offices, shops, and storage in buildings at the north end of campus. PPD provides a wide range of services including housekeeping, grounds, carpentry, painting, plumbing, electrical, snow removal, grounds care, and utility generation and distribution. The department also provides a number of support services, such as moving, project planning, and cost estimating. Lunder House,