Keene Hall

Rudolphus Dutch Keene Hall was a gift of $750,000 from three generous donors in 1974: the Keene Family Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and the McFeely-Rogers Foundation. Following the groundbreaking ceremony on January 30 of that year, construction began on the wooded site of 111 feet by 167 feet on the northeast corner of Holt and Chase Avenues that O’Neal House once stood. The building was completed in eight months and dedicated on October 18, 1974. With Klepper, Marshall, King & Associates as acoustical consultants, Keene Hall was designed by Schweitzer Associates and constructed by Allen Trovilian. Originally, the two-story building measured 15,226 square feet, and featured a 50’ x 50’ rehearsal hall with a 25’ ceiling named after Mr. Fred Rogers, a 1951 Rollins graduate majoring in music.

Groundbreaking ceremony in 1974

With the growth of the Virginia S. and W.W. Nelson Department of Music, renovations to and expansion of the building became necessary. After the College raised a total of $7 million thanks to the generosity of thirty-five donors, groundbreaking for the expansion took place on April 8, 2004, and the official dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held two years later. Expanded to 27,000 square feet, Keene Hall now includes soundproof practice studios, a music library, two “smart” classrooms, a high-tech recording studio, and much more. Among these additions was the John Tiedtke Concert Hall, an auditorium of 400 seats complete with a balcony and stage.