This spring, two renovation/construction projects of historical significance are moving forward on campus — both taking from the past to help ensure the future at Stetson.

Hulley Tower

In January, a group of Stetson alumni issued a $1 million challenge to raise the remaining funds needed to reconstruct Hulley Tower on the DeLand campus and install a new 52-bell carillon. Not long afterward, plans were in place to break ground on Feb. 24. The historic reconstruction is expected to take about nine months.

Hulley Tower is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places for its statewide significance. The renovation project received a $500,000 state preservation grant, which was recommended by the Florida Legislature and awarded by Gov. Ron DeSantis last June. Since that time, fundraising has climbed toward its $6.7 million goal, with less than $1 million remaining as of early February.

At 116 feet tall, the landmark stood on campus from 1934 to 2005, and its 11 bronze bells rang out daily across the university and the DeLand community. After sustaining damage during the 2004 hurricane season, the tower had to be dismantled. The stone base continues to serve as a mausoleum for Stetson’s second president, Lincoln Hulley, PhD, who originally built the tower, and his wife, Eloise — making Hulley Tower the only freestanding bell tower on an American college campus that includes a mausoleum as its base, as originally designed.

In addition, Hulley Tower serves as the emblem of a broader alumni initiative, titled Soul of Stetson, a movement that embodies values, experiences, people and connections.

Edmunds Center

With the completion of its remake and modernization a top university priority, the Edmunds Center renovation is moving ahead, with fundraising efforts continuing.

Built in 1974, the Edmunds Center is Stetson’s largest multipurpose facility and the largest indoor sporting venue in west Volusia County. In essence, the center is more than a building; it’s a cornerstone of students’ academic journeys and community connections, along with being a hub for athletics.

Of course, the excitement last spring of Hatters basketball literally raised the roof of the venerable facility. Both the men’s and women’s teams hosted their conference championship tournaments, with the men’s team advancing to its first-ever NCAA Tournament.