Scovell Hall
Scovell Hall Homecoming
The renovated Scovell Hall will house the following:
- Dean’s administrative offices
- Student Success administration
- Extension administration
- Research administration
- Department of Dietetics & Human Nutrition
- Department of Community & Leadership Development
- School of Human & Environmental Sciences
- A 4,000-square-foot state-of-the-art teaching kitchen
- The Lemon Tree restaurant
- 7 state-of-the-art classrooms & student lounge/study space
Project Details
Construction Begins April 2024 Construction Completed January 2026 Responsible Firms JRA Architects Flad Architects Congleton-HackerHistory of Scovell Hall
The Kentucky Experiment Station began humbly in 1885 with a single room in the basement of the University Administration Building. Melville Amasa Scovell was the station’s sole full-time employee at the time. This multipurpose space served as an office, a chemical lab and a balance room for experiments.
By 1889, the station had expanded to share a two-story building with the university's chemistry and natural history departments. Unfortunately, a fire in 1891 gutted the building, destroying equipment, records, and years of research.
Recognizing the need for dedicated space, the Board of Trustees provided a four-acre plot and authorized construction of a new building in 1902. Completed in 1903, this colonial-style brick structure featured a grand portico and became the largest building on campus for many years.
However, new laws and research demands quickly outgrew the facility. An addition was constructed in 1912-13, and the building was dedicated in honor of Scovell, the station's founding director and second dean of the College of Agriculture.
By 1935, continued growth prompted another expansion. A second addition doubled the building's size, adding much-needed office and service space, including a library. This project was aided by a Public Works Administration grant.
