Castle Elevator Brings Sophistication, Improved Accessibility

By Purnell T. Cropper | January 8, 2015

 

President Nicolette DeVille Christensen (center) stands with Associate Vice President for Facilities Management and Capital Planning Tom Macchi (seventh from right, brown jacket), Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Len Sippel (second from left), and members of the Facilities Management staff in front of the new Castle elevator. Constructed by Delran Builders, the elevator stops at all three floors of the Castle, offers beautiful views of the front grounds, and incorporates elements of the original architecture, such as the light fixtures on the second and third floors to match the elegant staircases, sophisticated interiors, and intricate woodwork of the historic landmark building. The decorative woodwork restoration was made possible by the Class of 1964’s 50th Reunion gift.

“When constructing the elevator and thinking about how it should look, we asked ourselves, ‘What would [Castle architect Horace] Trumbauer have done if he built an elevator?’” said Macchi. “That’s what we tried to do.”