This summer saw several renovation projects take place across the Elizabethtown College campus with one notable project still underway.
“The summer is always a time for Facilities to perform large projects while creating the least amount of disruption to the academic year,” Director of Facilities Management Jerry Schaber said. “This year’s summer project list was a little more extensive.”
During the Fall 2025 semester it was announced that Ira R. Herr Field would cease to be a natural grass field—the last such field in the ten-college Landmark Conference that Etown competes in.
For several years, persistent drainage issues prevented use of the field beyond men’s and women’s soccer games. Installation of underground storm drainage in the summer of 2022 mitigated but did not completely alleviate the issue. The next recourse was to completely change the surface of Herr Field.
At the time of the announcement, Athletic Director Chris Morgan told the Etownian, “installing turf will provide a more durable, versatile, and reliable playing surface.”
As it stands now, the turf is not yet installed, and construction crews are currently installing retaining walls and electrical infrastructure.
It was hoped Herr Field would be a playable surface before the beginning of the fall soccer season, but as the active construction indicates, that did not happen.
“The delay in the completion of turf installation at Herr Field is primarily due to permitting issues that occurred,” Schaber said. “New regulations regarding stormwater management created several revisions required to meet the new standards.”
The permitting hurdles delayed the start of the turf installation by four weeks, according to Schaber. The wet and rainy summer also slowed construction.
Without a field to play on, all home soccer games will be played at the Jane Hoover Field at Elizabethtown Area High School until the turf installation is complete. The annual Marshmallow Game between Elizabethtown and Messiah University’s men’s soccer team has been moved up a day to Sept. 15 and will instead be hosted by Messiah. Due to the delays, it is unclear when Herr Field will be playable.
“We certainly recognize the inconvenience this creates for our student-athletes, coaches, visiting teams and fans,” Morgan said. “We appreciate everyone’s flexibility and understanding as we work through the remaining construction.”
Two of the academic buildings also had some changes made over the summer.
In Musser Hall, the second floor received new flooring, paint, and lighting. Last year, the first floor was renovated thanks to the generosity of the late Dr. Charles Schaffer, A.C. Baugher Professor of Chemistry Emeritus, whose endowment also provided for this summer’s renovations to the second floor. The lab in Musser 201 is still under renovation and will be completed on Sept. 18.
“The improvements will provide our students and faculty with modern, well-equipped spaces that support hands-on learning, collaboration, and research,” Dr. Jeffrey Rood, Professor of Chemistry said. “Dr. Schaeffer’s generosity will benefit generations of students and faculty who will learn, teach, conduct research, and discover in these renewed spaces.”
In the adjoining Ebsenshade Hall, room 187 has been converted into the Bollman Makerspace, a space designed to compliment the neighboring Fabrication Lab by offering engineering students an additional space to construct prototypes.
“I’m very happy with how the renovation turned out,” Dr. Judson Wagner, Assistant Teaching Professor of Physics, said. “Campus Facilities did excellent work, and the space gives our students a real opportunity to build things and learn from each other.
Aside from the new interior paint job, the Baugher Student Center (BSC) saw two noticeable changes: the removal of the PSECU Financial Education Center and the renovation of the restrooms located between the College Bookstore and Tempest Theatre.
Although the ATM remains, the PSECU Financial Education Center vacated its location at the main entrance to the BSC at the end of the spring semester. In its place is Etown First Stop, a space designed to be a welcome and information center.
The BSC restrooms have received a complete facelift with new surfaces and noticeably brighter lighting.
Additional campus renovations included the lobby of Founders Residence Hall, new roofs for the Steinman Center and Hackmen Apartments, and new floors and renovated restrooms for Thompson Gym.
