Generations of women enjoyed the gracious, comfortable community of Stockwell Hall. After 16 months of major renovation, the distinctive residence hall is ready for the next generations of students — with new spaces and a somewhat different community.
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Completed in 1940, the hall opened as a women’s residence and was named after Madelon Louisa Stockwell, the first woman admitted to the University in 1870. Based on student input and support in 2008, Stockwell reopens as a residence for women and men.
During a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the hall, President Mary Sue Coleman acknowledged the path set forth by Madelon Stockwell.
“Since 1940, we have honored her contributions with a beautiful residence hall that bears her name and houses new generations of women leaders,” Coleman said. “Now, with our physical renovation of Stockwell Hall and the move to make this a residence for both women and men, we are continuing our commitment to a learning environment that is rich in diversity. Because as the students here know better than any of us, you learn as much from your classmates, roommates and neighbors down the hall, as you do from your professors.”
An ideal setting for returning students — with new amenities, community spaces and the prevalent number of single rooms — Stockwell will house only second-year and older students who will participate in an evolving community program focused on the Sophomore Year Experience.
“When I was considering where to live, I wanted to be a part of a community that would be a good fit for me, and the new Sophomore Year Experience program at Stockwell was exactly what I was looking for,” said Andrew Clauw, a second-year student and an officer of the Residence Halls Association.
Stockwell Hall’s Tudor Revival architecture features distinctive brick patterns, diamond-pane windows, fireplaces and paneled lounges that articulate a gracious traditional character. Those details and character remain, while the renovation has provided a contemporary residential experience to accommodate the needs of students for years to come.
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“The renovation of Stockwell Hall represents renewed commitment to the residential experience at Michigan — not only in terms of physical comforts and safety, but also in providing communities that serve current and future students,” said Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper. “This is a wonderful accomplishment in maintaining a heritage hall by blending old and new, reflective and forward-looking.”
The building’s infrastructure has been thoroughly upgraded: new fire detection and fire suppression systems; new plumbing, electrical, heating, cooling and ventilation; new voice and data cable and wireless high-speed network access, and accessibility improvements. Each resident floor includes two “cozy” lounges, a kitchenette and renovated community bathrooms that provide more privacy.
Significant changes to Stockwell’s interior have been created by enclosing an exterior courtyard under a glass skylight and, opening the floor into the level below, creating a multi-level rotunda connecting the residential, academic support and social areas of the building.
The comprehensive renovation of Stockwell Hall is a major project of the Residential Life Initiatives (RLI). Launched in 2004, RLI is a comprehensive, multi-year plan to revitalize and renovate student housing and to strengthen the connection between students’ learning and living experiences.
“Just as Madelon Stockwell will always be known as the first woman to enroll at Michigan, we now have a class of students — women and men — who can say: We were the first to live and learn together at Stockwell Hall,” Coleman said. “Congratulations to all who made today possible, and to the students of Stockwell who are making their own history at Michigan.”
