Hannah Alumni House nears grand opening
September 03, 2025 — The transformation of a 107-year-old house into a place that will welcome alumni back to Grinnell College is nearing completion.
The Hannah Alumni House – located at 1527 Broad St. – will commemorate the exceptional legacy of Grinnell alumni while providing a warm, comfortable venue for events, meetings, and lodging. Construction work on the College’s first alumni house is expected to be wrapped up in October.
“There has not been a central location or meeting space for alumni as part of the campus landscape until now,” says Jessica Stewart, senior associate director of alumni and donor relations. “Hannah Alumni House is something permanent, and it will be grounded in memories with the passion and accomplishments of the alumni community.”
Numerous exterior renovations were made to Hannah Alumni House in anticipation of its November opening.
Save the date for the Hannah Alumni House dedication, planned for Thursday, Nov. 6. Tentative plans are for a ribbon cutting at 4:30 p.m. followed by a community open house until 6 p.m. Grinnellians can enjoy guided tours, light refreshments, and view the historic photographs and artifacts.
Hannah House will be open for meetings, events, and guest room reservations starting in mid-November.
Renovations have taken place over the last year. The exterior soffits, trellis and window trim have been painted and concrete stucco facades restored. An ADA accessible ramp was added to the front and back of the house and the underlayment (the cover under the tile roof) is currently being replaced. With philanthropic support from Trustee Karmi Mattson ’97, landscaping work also has taken place to transform the backyard from a private residential garden into an accessible and expansive event space.
“Significant landscaping has really enhanced the space outside,” Stewart adds. “Everything has started to really take root.”
Extensive interior remodeling is close to completion. On the first floor is a meeting room, accessible bathroom, living room, a three-season enclosed porch, dining room and kitchen. Upstairs are four guest bedrooms, bathrooms, and another guest lounge.
The carpeting has been pulled up in several parts of the house to expose the gorgeous original hardwood floors, Stewart says. New lights will ensure the house is well lit. The fireplaces have been updated and secured for safety. Bedrooms are getting outfitted with beds and other amenities.
Scott Dean, interior designer, points out a feature in the kitchen to Rick Whitney, assistant vice president for facilities management, and Christi Baker, project management coordiator.
Like with any older house, there were a few difficulties to navigate in the remodeling process, Stewart says.
“It’s a beautiful, old house with a lot of great character that we, along with the designers, have lovingly enhanced,” she says. “All of the fixtures and furniture have been chosen to bring out the beauty and charm of the existing space. I think people are going to be really excited about seeing it. It will shine as a space full of alumni accomplishments and alumni success. It will be really special.”
Once the final renovation are complete, the Office of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) will be filling the house with Grinnell relics and memories.
Stewart has been working with Chris Jones, College archivist and special collections librarian, on pulling together items for the Hannah House displays. Alums have also donated items to the College that could be used for the house, and DAR has a good deal of ephemera to choose from as well. Yesteryear Grinnell College photos will be displayed throughout the house and there will be cabinets and credenzas filled with Grinnellian mementos.
The house itself has quite a few College memories, too. It was built by an alumni couple – Jesse and Maude Fellows, both class of 1901. Construction on the home was started in 1914 and was completed in 1918. The Fellows hosted many events for Grinnell’s faculty, students, and alumni.
A refurbished bedroom upstairs in the Hannah House is ready for alumni stays.
A $1 million gift from Mary Emily Hannah ’58, DL ’82 helped make the house renovations possible and led to the housing naming.
Hannah was a trailblazer in higher education, becoming the first female vice chancellor in the history of Minnesota State University System and first women to head a public 4-year campus in the state of Wisconsin. She also stayed active as an alumna serving in various volunteer roles.
Fundraising is ongoing for named spaces in the house. Thus far, $1.6 million has been raised to make renovations possible while honoring alumni donors who have said they are so excited to invest in this space.
The College’s Facilities Management (FM) team has managed the renovation project, doing much of the work in-house and using local tradespeople where possible.
“We’d like to acknowledge the FM team and their hard work on the Hannah House,” Stewart says. “Their leadership is helping to make this wonderful space possible for our community. We are greatly looking forward to showing the house off to the Grinnell community on Nov. 6. We hope you can make plans to join us to explore the house.”
—by Jeremy Shapiro