ROAR - Forgotten Spaces - MThamrong

N E T S T P O A C G R E S O F

tHE HIDDEN places ACROSS gcu CAMPUS VOl. 1 ISSUE 3

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Georgian Court University is known for its remarkable grounds and historical architecture, the campus formerly being the Gilded Age estate of railroad tycoon George Jay Gould. The campus is considered a National Historic Landmark, and continues to preserve the charming features from the original estate.

While the beauty of our campus is undeniable, there are a lot of spaces that remain hidden and lost to time. Old handball courts, attic spaces full of old blueprints, and old tunnels are a few of the places Senior Belynnda King has explored in her research project.

Belynnda has a passion for research, taking interest in the archives about campus history. For months she worked to uncover the history of GCU alumni Jessica Dragonette. In her research, Belynnda uncovered a long-lost portrait of Dragonette that was gifted to Georgian Court.

Where was the painting? In an old loft space above the North Dining Hall, hidden behind boxes in a closet.

In her search to find the painting, Belynnda realized how many spaces across campus were unused. The attic space above the dining hall was one of several spaces she found empty yet full of potential.

Above the North Dining hall is a loft space full of filing cabinets and blueprints. It is unclear what the prints show, but Belynnda speculates they share insight to the architecture across campus.

“I personally think that should be the Richey Center,” Belynnda explains. “Since I know the Richey Center is currently struggling to find a place within the Georgian Court atmosphere.”

Another location Belynnda found was the handball courts in the casino building. From the exterior, large glass roofs show a glimpse of handball and squash courts. These spaces are inaccessible, and require navigating tight hallway spaces and opening locked doors.

Belynnda believes that it is important for the student community to educate themselves on the rich history of the campus.

While squash and handball are not as popular as they once were, these courts could be used or repurposed “I really think that the students should know exactly all of the spaces that we have on campus” – Belynnda King

for other campus activities.

With the $19 million dollar investment that Georgian Court received this year, Belynnda hopes some of this money can go towards renovating these spaces on campus for student use.

To learn more about Belynnda’s research on Jessica Dragonette, check out the GCU website!

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Writer and reporter Molly Thamrong

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