Wren-ovation

In 1930, commenting on the newly-opened Wren Room, this magazine noted its "personal coziness, the quiet luxury, the air of seclusion." However, after 68 years of student use, the Wren Room was in need of a bit of spiffing up, so the English department turned to drama professor Margaret Spicer for guidance in restoring this campus icon. The room in Sanborn House is a close replica of the 1680s Grand Saloon at Belton House, Lincolnshire a late Restoration manor house, which was designed in the style of architect Christopher Wren. Says Spicer, her goal wasn't a faithful replication of a Wren room, but to infuse Dartmouth's beloved meeting place with"the flavor of the seventeenth century without the unwelcome'do not touch' formality of a museum reproduction." Alumni visitors to the restored Wren Room can rest assured that the room's original furnishings remain. The two sofas were reupholstered in muted crimson. The chairs, as well as an oriental lacquered cabinet, which all carry the signature details of the Baroque aesthetic, were also restored. New additions to the space include a gold carpet, crimson window treatment, and a mirror appropriate to the era.

Williamson '93

Even though the Wren Room has been fixed up, it's still Baroque.