Named for Emily McFadon Vincent NSFG ’49, this building is the first on campus to honor an alumna. Opened in 2021, EMV houses 40 female students and has a strong “girl power” vibe. Dorm head Christa Talbot Syfu ’98 notes, “It’s a great, close-knit place for girls to live.”

Named for current Board Chair John Hazen White Jr. ’76, this state-of-the-art dorm houses 40 ninth grade boys each year. “It feels like a real community here,” said Benning Johnson ’22.

The first of the new dorms finished, but the last to be named, Wold House was called 194 Main Street—until the school honored Peter Wold ’67 and his family in 2021 for their many contributions. Housing 32 girls, Wold House is a cozy home for students in their first year of boarding.

Thanks to a group of parent donors, Birch Dining Commons got a major facelift in 2022, including new windows, refreshed paint and flooring, and elegant Shaker chairs. The most impactful change, though? Round tables, which create a more intimate and “family-style” dining experience, where everyone has equal access to the conversation. They also maximize floor space, expanding Birch’s capacity for large gatherings and residential dinners.

Williston’s new Residential Quad, with its grand front porches and expansive lawn, has set the bar high for outdoor gatherings. On any given day, you’ll find ninth and tenth graders outside playing games, chilling around firepits, and reading in Adirondack chairs.

To bring that same feeling to the Main Quad, we added three new outdoor areas—a patio in front of Memorial Hall (from the class of 1970), a terrace in front of Ford (from the class of 1968), and a brick gathering space outside of the entrance to Birch Dining Hall. The Ford and Mem patios, stocked with Adirondack chairs and firepits, are in constant use during the school year, as well as at Reunion. The Birch Terrace has become a go-to spot for events, with a gorgeous view of the pond. The Sabina Cain Family Athletic Center also got its own “front porch” with a new parquet observation deck above Saywer Field—ideal for watching games on crisp fall afternoons.

The bottom floor of the Reed Campus Center (if you graduated before 1996, you might remember it as the old gym’s pool) has long been a favorite student hangout. Thanks to a generous gift from Natan Peisach ’57, this 4,000-square-foot student activity center will be renovated in summer 2025. To ensure it continues to meet student needs, feedback from the student council is being incorporated into the renovation plans. The goal is to enhance student activities, foster connections, and keep it as the go-to spot for grabbing an ECB sandwich or playing ping-pong.

Community building was a top priority in the design of all three new Residential Quad common rooms. With high ceilings and 700 square feet of versatile space, these areas feel like large family rooms—where students can study, eat, relax, make new friends, or attend dorm and club meetings. A prime example is the Cadwgan Family Common Room in the new ninth grade boys’ dorm, named in honor of Ruth and Gordon Cadwgan ’63, who made the first million-dollar gift to the Williston Builds campaign. This common room is the largest and most prominent interior space in the new John Hazen White House, serving as a central hub for student life.