The William W. Higgins ’53 Aquatic Center was dedicated in November 2008. Today, it is one of the finest prep school venues of its kind in New England.
The chemistry room was remodeled, refurnished, and re-equipped in 2004.
diving, and swimming squads. With many members of the Higgins family and Bill’s teammates and classmates in attendance, the new facility was blessed and dedicated on November 1, 2008. Ed Speno addressed Bill’s family: “Judy, what you, Bill, and your family have done for Canterbury and the Town of New Milford with the building of this beautiful and functional aquatic center will add value to the School and benefit everybody who uses it for competitive or leisure purposes.” In the busy summer of 2007, construction began on a new baseball backstop that also incorporates team seating in two enclosed dugouts. This innovative design was spotted at a baseball field in Washington State by Mark Pigott ’72, who funded the design of the project. Trustee Kevin Sheehan ’62, son of Canterbury’s second headmaster and a Canterbury and Williams College baseball pitcher of note, funded the construction of the project, and the Kevin E. Sheehan ’62 Baseball Field is named in his honor. During that same summer, on August 9, 2007, Canterbury broke
ground on eight new tennis courts, an adjacent parking lot for fifty cars, and an entrance plaza with built-in seating. Located immediately north of the Health Center, the new tennis courts were the gift of Mark Pigott ’72, who graciously named the center court in honor of his classmate Michael Reardon and the entrance plaza in honor of Ronald E. Seaman ’47, a Canterbury tennis captain and the father of Mark’s classmate Mike Seaman. A court is also named for Alex Fanjul ’69 and his son Nico ’04. Completed in the fall of 2008, the tennis courts were inaugurated during the 2009 season. Robert Markey Steele ’72 Hall had served Canterbury well since opening in 1984. Years had passed, however, and the School had grown in size and program. On September 26, 2008, Bob Steele’s parents Ed ’41 and Joan, his brother Mike ’75, Board President Bob Steers ’71, and Tom Sheehy broke ground on an ambitious project to expand and renovate the building. Clad in Roxbury granite, it was another step, guided by BRB architect Vuyosovich, in coordinating the architectural appearance of the nearby buildings of the Athletic Center, William W. Higgins ’53 Aquatic Center, the Old Gym, and the Chapel of Our Lady. Less than one year after breaking ground, the expanded and renovated building was opened to student use in time for the 2009–2010 academic year. The building was dedicated at a special celebration on October 2, 2009, attended by the Steele family, trustees, and many members of the Canterbury community. The goal of this major project was to attract new students and serve existing students with an eye-catching and more efficient new admissions center, a dramatically renovated David Casey Copley ’70 Library, a student center, new administrative offices, and an expanded 400-seat dining room, which opens to a south-facing terrace perfect for both casual dining and special events. The 39