Dexter Richards Hall

Dexter Richards Hall

Dexter Richards Hall is a dormitory at a boarding high school, Kimball Union Academy, in Meriden, New Hampshire. The four-story building is made out of brick, and houses about 60 male boarding students and four faculty apartments. It is named for Dexter Richards, a Kimball Union alumni and friend from Newport, NH.

History

* 1816: The first building on the site was called The Temperance Hotel, more commonly known as The Meriden House, which served as an inn and dormitory for 75 years. Buildings surrounding it that still exist today include Rowe House, Annie Duncan House, the church and parsonage, and the Red Snack Barn.
* 1891: The building was destroyed by a fire.
* 1891-92: The second building built out of wood with a large identifiable wrap around porch. During the summer season, June to September when school was not in session, the building was used as The Bird Village Inn, a lodging place for people who visited the nearby bird sanctuary.
* 1903: Renovated
* 1936-37: Torn down and rebuilt out of brick. The wood was used to build boards for the outdoor hockey rink on the present day Quad. The new brick building was designed for 100 boys, headmaster and administrative offices, and the dining hall.