I will always be grateful to the coeducation architects and advocates,
such as Head Master McClellan, Catherine Boczkowski and Leita Hamill,
and of course to the pioneers in the Class of 1988. Attending
Lawrenceville was a transforming experience for me. - Liz Gough '03
The Circle and the Crescent
The Circle was first, the
Victorian Era vision of a celebrated landscape architect and
Lawrenceville’s original trustees. Its Houses are anchored by a central
core that defines an educational philosophy, and it hosts a ring of
trees worthy of an arboretum. Later – a full century later – the Circle
was joined by the Crescent, with the hope that it, too, would develop
the deep roots and traditions of its circular counterpart.
Since then, the Crescent
has continued to grow – in buildings, in population, and in conventions
and achievements of its own. Several years ago Carter House became the
fifth girls’ House, and porches and unique architectural trimmings were
added to all the Houses on the Crescent, bringing the Circle and the
Crescent still closer in look and feel.
A Celebratory Initiative
In celebration of the 25th
anniversary of coeducation, The Crescent Initiative aims to fulfill the
promise of the Crescent. A major fundraising campaign is underway to
convert the Bath House into a student café that would link the Crescent
and the Circle and add to the Crescent’s distinct identity by serving as
a vibrant student center.
The larger project includes landscaping and transitioning the Crescent road into a pedestrian walkway.
The Patio Project
Because of the link it
creates between the Circle and the Crescent and the prominence it brings
to the latter, the Bath House conversion and related landscape work
offers a unique opportunity to celebrate 25 years of coeducation. We are
asking our Crescent alumnae to help us commemorate this milestone in
Lawrenceville’s history by supporting the construction and furnishing of
an outdoor patio, a sidewalk café that will overlook the Crescent from
the Bath House. This addition to the "Bath House Café" will be lighted
for evening use and outfitted with tables and chairs for students to
gather, decompress after a long day, and share food and conversation.
The Goal
The Coeducation Fundraising
Committee is seeking 100 percent participation from Crescent alumnae to
help us reach our goal of $250,000 to construct and furnish the Bath
House patio. There’s no question that coeducation has left its mark on
Lawrenceville, but after 25 years, we think it’s time to match that with
a landmark contribution. We’re asking each of you to make a gift in a
multiple of 25 by April 1, 2013 – to signify how important Lawrenceville
has been to the women who came here as girls and left with the
confidence and knowledge to tackle any challenge. After
25 years, we constitute a formidable force in the world: Let’s show
Lawrenceville what we can do and how grateful we are for the preparation
it gave us.
We offer three convenient ways to support the Crescent Initiative: