Plans to demolish Kenyon College's Sunset Cottage have encountered opposition from supporters of the historic structure. The cottage, built by the college's first English professor, later served as the home of its English department.
"Surely an institution as steeped in history as Kenyon, especially one shaped by the legacy of its English Department and campus architecture can afford to explore all options," said Brian Berg, spokesperson for the Committee to Save Sunset Cottage, Class of 1981, in a news release. "After all, Kenyon ... taught us achievements in architectural restoration preserve the past to enrich the future."
According to a news release and a Kenyon Collegian article, Kenyon College Chief Operation Officer Roger Wakeman said that while the cottage has historical significance and is part of the campus, high maintenance costs and failure to meet accessibility codes are reasons for its proposed demolition. Berg said that other historic buildings on campus with similar issues remain in use.
The release indicates that despite Sunset Cottage's literary heritage and popular support for preservation, it is slated for demolition. This decision comes despite a previous promise to renovate and relocate it for the college's West Quad expansion plans.
Kenyon's original English professor, Francis Warton, constructed Sunset Cottage in 1856. It became home to the English Department from 1978 until 2018, hosting classes and offices for faculty and students. Notably, Kenyon's Phi Beta Kappa honor society was founded there. As one of few remaining structures from the first half of the 19th century on campus, it holds architectural importance alongside Old Kenyon.
The news release highlights notable literary alumni from Kenyon College such as poets Robert Lowell and James Arlington Wright; authors Laura Hillenbrand and John Green; cartoonists Bill Waterson and Jim Borgman; journalist Matt Winkler; and screenwriter Will Arbery. The campus also hosts "Kenyon Review," a literary magazine founded in 1939 by John Crowe Ransom.
