Lees-McRae College celebrates ribbon cutting of North Carolina Building

BANNER ELK — The Historic Commons at Lees-McRae College was rededicated on the morning of Thursday, July 18, following more than two years of renovations and revitalization efforts. Faculty, staff, trustees, alumni and community leaders gathered on the steps of North Carolina Building for the ribbon cutting ceremony and to get some of the first looks at the fully updated facilities.

The ceremony featured remarks from North Carolina Senator Ted Budd, Lees-McRae College Board of Trustees Chair Barbara Kopczynski, USDA Rural Development Area Director Jody Lovelace, and Lees-McRae President Lee King. Following the ribbon cutting, guests were invited to tour the buildings which have been central to the Lees-McRae experience for 100 years.

The Historic Commons is the historic heart of Lees-McRae and includes North Carolina Building, Tennessee and Virginia Halls, and the Pinnacle Room, Pinnacle Deck and Pinnacle Courtyard. These buildings date back to the 1920s, when their construction was overseen by Lees-McRae College founder Rev. Edgar Tufts and his son Edgar H. Tufts.

Renovations to the Historic Commons were funded by a $30 million Community Facilities Direct Loan from the United States Department of Agriculture and represent a goal President Lee King set when he first took leadership at the college in 2018.

This event unveiled the upgrades to the buildings, which include state-of-the-art classrooms, student housing facilities, event spaces, and more. These revitalization efforts also extend outside the buildings’ walls, with beautiful landscaping and grounds work as well as the new pedestrian walkway and patio space located behind the Historic Commons.

“The renovation of the Historic Commons buildings brings to completion the first phase of a vision cast in our 2020 facilities master plan that we completely renovate these historic classrooms and residence halls,” President King said. “As we celebrate our 125th anniversary, this momentous project further exemplifies the renaissance and transformation occurring at Lees-McRae College.”