Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story referred to a building as the President’s Home. It is the President’s Office.
While many alumni come and go from WKU, some choose to stay forever.
Across from the Charles Hardcastle Kentucky Building and beside the President’s Office stands a small interfaith chapel lined with limestone walls etched with the names of past and present Hilltoppers, including familiar names such as Bates, Cravens and Ogden. Holding up to two urns per niche, the WKU Columbarium surrounds the outskirts of the chapel.
Kara Neidell, executive assistant to the College Heights Foundation President, said the stone down the wall of the columbarium is made of limestone, but the engravings of names, birth dates, death dates and special titles are etched into concrete-based stones on top of each niche. Military plaques can also be attached to the columbarium walls.
Alumni, faculty or staff on the Hill can buy a niche in the columbarium. Neidell said that there are also a couple of younger students buried in the columbarium who died during their time on the Hill.
Each niche costs $5,000, with etchings included in the price, Neidell said. The price was raised to account for the costs of current construction, since the chapel and columbarium are privately funded.
“The construction going on right now is a new columbarium wall,” Neidell said. “Currently, we have 140 niches on either side of the chapel that are completely sold out.”
Neidell said that WKU will be adding another columbarium wall with 111 more niches, totaling 251 niches after construction is completed. When it was originally constructed in 2010, the columbarium had 82 niches, according to WKU Archives.
Neidell said there is currently a waiting list for those who want a spot in the columbarium.
Neidell said that in the process of constructing another wall, a labyrinth with a fountain in its center will be added to the chapel. WKU is hoping to complete construction within a couple more months, Neidell said.
Neidell said that most people on the Hill don’t know the columbarium exists, but she believes it’s an important part of WKU’s campus.
“I think it’s important to have a columbarium on campus because WKU alumni love WKU, and it’s a great place to spend an eternity on the beautiful hilltop campus that made us all Hilltoppers,” Neidell said.
Anyone interested in securing a niche in the columbarium can send an email to [email protected].
