History of The Siegel Center
The Ruth Leff Siegel Center began as a small cottage built in 1916 by William Van Duzer Lawrence as a home for his head gardener. In the early 1920s, the cottage became home to the Roycroft family, whose daughter, Margaret, would go on to become the director of buildings and grounds at the College decades later. In the intervening years, this once small cottage grew in size and evolved in purpose. It was used as a Faculty House in the late 1920s, and then a new wing was added in 1931 to house the college infirmary for several decades. In 1970 it became “the Pub”, and in 1983, when a second wing and an outdoor deck were added, it became known as “Charlie’s Place” in honor of President Emeritus Charles DeCarlo. The building, with the configuration we know today, was christened the Ruth Leff Siegel Center in 1998.
The Siegel Center's Next Chapter
Since opening on August 31, 2019, the Barbara Walters Campus Center has quickly fulfilled its promise as a vibrant hub for students, faculty, and staff to eat, study, meet, relax, and collaborate. As a result, the Ruth Leff Siegel Center (known by many as “The Pub”) is ready for its next chapter as a vital and beloved College facility.
"This transformation of the Siegel Center is a brilliant opportunity for a beloved campus landmark to provide critical and renewed campus space that will significantly enhance the experience of current and future students and the communities they create and foster at Sarah Lawrence." –Cristle Collins Judd, President
Our Process
Planning for the Siegel Center’s next iteration began in 2019, but was interrupted and delayed by the Coronavirus pandemic. A careful review in the spring of 2023 confirmed that the work that was done at that time—which included community meetings and individual conversations with students, faculty, and staff—remains a solid foundation on which the revitalized Siegel Center will be built. Students, including those in leadership and space management roles, played a particularly important role in planning, helping College leadership identify how the existing space can further enhance student life on campus and complement the BWCC.
Our Plan
From our community discussions it became obvious that a repurposed Siegel Center presents a unique opportunity to celebrate community and relationships, bolster a sense of belonging on campus, and cultivate a range of diverse experiences and points of view. To that end, the Siegel Center will become the new home of several spaces that support cultural and spiritual student communities, including Common Ground, the LGBTQIA space, and the Spiritual Space. This new centralized location will bring the spaces and the work they support, presently scattered in less than optimal areas throughout Bates, closer together to benefit our whole community. A central goal of this project will be to achieve a balance between these dedicated spaces and communal spaces for all students.
Our Next Steps
The College has engaged the Philadelphia based architecture firm DIGSAU, which has a wide range of experience in higher education projects and specialized experience in shared intercultural spaces, to initiate the design and construction process. The project is set to commence the Concept Design phase in September 2023, with immediate next steps including the gathering of specific information and observations from stakeholders in targeted engagement sessions. This input will inform key decisions regarding space allocation, layout and configuration, and preliminary ideas concerning the “look and feel” of the space. Students will continue to play a critical role in the project.
Get Involved
For information on how you can support this important transformation and make an impact on the lives of our students, please contact:
Patricia Goldman
Vice President for Advancement & External Relations
914.813.9201
pgoldman@sarahlawrence.edu