WKU President Timothy Caboni informed the Board of Regents in an email Monday afternoon that the university paused demolition of the Faculty House.
The Faculty House was built in 1920 by a group of students and faculty from cedar trees growing on WKU’s campus. Caboni announced the demolition of the building on May 1 at an open house for the Cherry Hall rendering release. The Herald reported that demolition was expected to be complete by fall 2025 at an estimated cost of $100,000.
University Spokesperson Jace Lux shared the email with the Herald, which stated demolition would pause for a third party to inspect the building.
“I have asked Planning, Design and Construction to engage an outside firm to verify the assessment and recommendation of our campus professionals that the building cannot be moved without crumbling,” Caboni wrote. “I appreciate the fondness for the structure and its place in our university’s history. If there are options available beyond what was proposed, I want to ensure we explore them.”
Caboni said, “given the response” to the Faculty House’s demolition alongside Cherry Hall’s remodeling, the university decided to pause plans.
The Landmark Association of Bowling Green wrote an open letter on May 5 to Caboni and the Board of Regents following the initial renovation and demolition announcements.
“We implore Western Kentucky University (“WKU”) and President Timothy C. Caboni (“President Caboni”) to modify their proposed renovations of Cherry Hall to better respect the building’s historical significance and to stop the proposed demolition of the Faculty House,” the letter stated.
The Herald posted its reporting of the Faculty House’s demolition on social media, which garnered over 100 comments, many of which disapproved of the university’s actions.
Alum Chip St Charles took to Facebook, encouraging others to stop donating to the university.
“I guess I’ll reroute Alumni donations from WKU to the Landmark Association of Bowling Green and I encourage other donors to do the same,” St Charles posted.
Daniel Dillion also wrote on Facebook about his family history with the Faculty House.
“I married my husband in Faculty House. It was a beautiful way to celebrate our time together and the role WKU played in our early life,” Dillion wrote. “How fitting for WKU to erase the house and my love for the school in one fell swoop.”
Lux said there is currently no timeline regarding the Faculty House’s future.
