Johnson Hall, named in memory of Livingston Johnson, is the main administration building and anchors the original campus quadrangle of six buildings. Built in 1925, it was occupied in early 1926 when the campus moved from downtown Raleigh to its present West Raleigh location. Johnson Hall was renovated in 2016 and now includes the Jo Ellen Ammons Welcome Center on the first floor. Johnson Hall houses student services, including Admissions, Financial Assistance, Registrar, and Accounting.
Seven residence halls are located on the campus. Vann, Stringfield, Brewer, Faircloth, Poteat, Heilman, and Barefoot Residence Halls house 140–170 students each. Most of the accommodations in these three- or four-story air-conditioned buildings follow the suite arrangement of two rooms and a bath for four students, two students occupying a room. Social rooms, study parlors, kitchenettes, vending machines, and laundry facilities are conveniently located in the residence halls. All residence halls are supported by the campus wireless network.
The residence halls are named for Richard Tilman Vann; Oliver Larkin Stringfield; Charles Edward Brewer; William T. Faircloth; Ida Isabella, William Louis and E. McNeill Poteat; E. Bruce Heilman; Culbreth C., Kilty Barefoot and their family. Vann, Stringfield, Brewer and Faircloth residence halls were built in 1925 and are also a part of the original quadrangle of buildings.
The College opened The Oaks in the fall of 2009, which is an apartment building available for students who have junior or senior status. The building consists of 78 apartment units; 48 units are 4 bedroom and 2 bath and 30 units are 2 bedroom and 2 bath. Each unit has a furnished living space and also a refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher, and washer and dryer.
Completing the original quadrangle is Belk Dining Hall. Built in 1925, it was dedicated in 1970 in honor of Carol Grotnes Belk and is accessible to five of the residence halls by covered breezeways. The renovated lower level houses the Wainwright Conference Suite, a group of rooms for meetings and dining.
Fannie E.S. Heck Memorial Fountain was erected in 1928 by the North Carolina Woman’s Missionary Union, auxiliary to the Baptist State Convention, in honor of the first president of the organization. It is located in the center of the original campus courtyard.
Jones Auditorium, named in honor of Wesley Norwood and Sallie Bailey Jones, houses a 630-seat auditorium/theater with balcony seating and a studio theater. Jones Auditorium was first used in 1949.
Cooper Organ, Meredith’s first concert organ, was installed in 1970 in the auditorium of Jones Hall. Named in honor of the late Harry E. Cooper, head of the department of music for more than 30 years, the Austin organ is a three-manual, 35- rank concert instrument with classic voicing.
Harriet Mardre Wainwright Music Building is adjacent to Jones Hall. Named in honor of Mrs. Irving H. Wainwright and dedicated in 1977, the music and fine arts building houses a faculty lounge and offices, classrooms, practice rooms, and teaching studios. Also included in the building is the 175-seat Clara Carswell Concert Hall, named in honor of Mrs. Guy T. Carswell.
The Elizabeth Triplett Beam Fountain Plaza is located at the entrance to Johnson Hall. This area was dedicated in October 2017. Elizabeth Beam ’72, served on the Board of Trustees and is past president of the Alumnae Association.
Elva Bryan McIver Amphitheater, with a seating capacity of 1,200, was completed in 1964 and is located in a beautifully landscaped oak grove on the south front campus. The large stage area is complete with lighting and sound possibilities, making the theater ideally suited for outdoor performances and college and community programs. Named for Elva Bryan McIver, the amphitheater was made possible by a bequest from this friend of Meredith. Many campus and community events are held in the Amphitheater.
Meredith’s athletic complex features an artificial turf field surrounded by an eight-lane track. Metal bleacher seating is available. Meredith’s lacrosse and soccer teams practice and compete here as well as our track and field team. The track is also the site of physical education classes and popular campus races, including Daisy Dash and Trick or Trot, which are open to all students.
Jones Chapel was completed in 1982. It is named in honor of Seby B. Jones, former chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Christina Jones. In addition to the 400-seat sanctuary, the chapel contains a common room, a meditation room, a library, a bride’s room, a kitchen, and offices for the College chaplain and visiting speakers.
Estelle Johnson Salisbury Organ, installed in Jones Chapel in memory of a member of Meredith’s first graduating class of 1902, is an encased mechanical action instrument of 20 stops and 27 ranks. The two-manual and pedal Andover organ was constructed in 1983.
Mae Grimmer Alumnae House includes offices of the Alumnae Association and The Meredith Fund. It also contains the Mabel Claire Hoggard Maddrey Parlor, a reception room for meetings and social events. The house is named in honor of Mae Grimmer, who was for 36 years, executive secretary of the Alumnae Association.
Cate Student Center contains the 240-seat Kresge Auditorium, student activities offices, the campus store, BeeHive Cafe, student government and publication offices, the post office, and lounges. Named in honor of Kemp Shields Cate, the center was dedicated in 1974 and extensively renovated in 1996 and 2018.
Park Center, completed in 1996, is connected to the Cate Center. The Park Center houses offices for the John E. Weems Graduate School, Residence Life, Commuter Life, Diversity Programs, and First Year Experience as well as the Dean of Students, Academic Advising, Success Coaching, Career Planning, and Human Resources. Also housed in Park is the StrengthsLab – a dedicated space on campus for students to work on their strengths with a variety of resources that support strengths development. The building is named in honor of Roy and Dorothy Park.
Named in honor of Marquerite Noel, the Noel House was originally used for student housing. In 1998, it was renovated to house the Office of Technology Services.
Shearon Harris Building, constructed in 1982, houses the School of Business and the Department of Communication. In addition to classrooms, seminar rooms, and faculty offices, the building contains conference rooms. It is named in honor of the late Shearon Harris, who served as a trustee for more than a decade and as Board of Trustees chairman for several terms.
Gaddy-Hamrick Art Center houses the Frankie G. Weems Art Gallery, an art history theater and studios for drawing, painting, graphic design, ceramics, printmaking, and art education. The center is named in honor of the late Claude F. Gaddy, former Meredith trustee, and F.B. Hamrick, business manager of the College, 1929–43.
Ledford Hall, named for Hebert F. Ledford, benefactor and former chairman of the Board of Trustees, was completed in 1993. It houses the Departments of Education, Psychology and Social Work, and the Meredith Autism Lab.
Lux Hall is a classroom building for most courses in English, World Languages and Cultures, History and Politics, Religion, Criminology, and Sociology. It also contains the Office of International Programs, faculty offices, a computer lab, seminar rooms, a lounge, and a kitchen.
Carlyle Campbell Library is named in honor of Meredith’s fourth president, who served the College from 1939 to 1966. The Library moved from the second floor of Johnson Hall to its present building in 1969. Information about the Library and its services can be found at the library’s website.
Martin Hall provides classrooms and laboratories for the Departments of Human Environmental Sciences, World Languages and Cultures, and Nutrition, Health, and Human Performance. The building reopened in 2004 following renovations. The building is named for Margaret Craig Martin, ’30, an alumna whose service to the College includes being a faculty member, alumnae director, and a member of the College’s Board of Trustees.
The Science and Mathematics Building contains over 80,000 square feet of classrooms, state-of-the-art computer and science laboratories, and faculty offices for the Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Geosciences, Biological Sciences, and Mathematics and Computer Science. The building also contains a telescope teaching/observation platform, and an interior courtyard with outdoor teaching spaces.
The Student Health and Wellness Center houses resources for enhancing physical, mental and emotional health, as well as support through Disability Services.
Ellen Brewer House was originally used for the resource management practicum in the Home Economics Department. It now contains a five-star infant/toddler lab operated by the Child Development program within the Department of Human Environmental Sciences. It was named in honor of Ellen Dozier Brewer, member of the home economics faculty for 57 years.
Weatherspoon Athletic Center, dedicated in 1970, contains a gymnasium, classrooms, a dance studio, the Lowery Fitness Center (In memory of Herman and Ruth Lowery, parents of Ann Lowery, ’74, current Board of Trustees member.) and offices for the Departments of Dance. The building is named in honor of Walter Herbert Weatherspoon and James Raymond Weatherspoon. In close proximity are tennis courts, a golf putting green, driving range, softball field, and a soccer field.
Massey House is the on-campus residence of the president. The house is named in honor of Dr. Luther M. Massey and Vivian Dawson Massey in appreciation for their service to Meredith.
The Meredith College Arboretum and Gardens enrich the campus experience for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. They offer unique educational benefits to students and are designed with ornamental characteristics, ease of maintenance, and sustainability in mind. In 2018, the Three Sisters garden was renamed the Dickson Foundation Community Garden in keeping with its mission to support education.
The Communication and Health, Exercise & Sport Sciences Building (CHESS) is 13,636 square feet and includes a state-of-the-art recording studio, a podcast room, three editing rooms, two spacious exercise and sport sciences working classrooms, a collaboration room, and additional classrooms.