Since a failed fire inspection in late June, Panarchy undergraduate society’s stately white house on School Street has remained empty. The house seeks to raise $100,000 in the next five years, and its members are actively raising money for repairs, including through an online crowdsourcing campaign launched last week. Pre-construction is expected to begin next Monday.
In June, Panarchy members, known as Panarchists, were abruptly instructed to move out of the house due to health and fire code violations. Since then, Panarchy has worked to negotiate with the Hanover fire department and locate funds for repairs.
Dan Olson ’04, president of the Panarchy corporation, said pre-construction will likely begin next Monday, under the contracting firm Estes and Gallup. Construction will occur in two phases, focusing first on immediate fixes required for students to move back in, then on more significant projects, including an additional egress. Work to replace a chimney liner will begin Oct. 15, Olson said. The second phase, including possibly a new staircase, is expected to begin next summer.
The phase-one repairs are expected to cost between $50,000 and $100,000, and the phase-two repairs are expected to cost up to $300,000, Olson said.
Last week, Panarchy launched an Indiegogo campaign called “Project Save Panarchy” to raise money for chimney repairs. As of press time, the campaign had raised around $6,000 of its $8,000 goal.
Former Panarchist Caroline Brandt ’09, who launched the Indiegogo campaign, said she got involved because of the enriching impact that Panarchy had on her Dartmouth experience.
Panarchy president Sheya Jabouin ’15 indicated that fundraising and repairs are meant to take place over several years, and the Indiegogo campaign is intended for chimney repairs. In total, the house needs to raise around $100,000 in the next five years, she and Brandt said.
To pay for the repairs, Panarchy members will solicit donations from alumni, use money that has been saved for repairs and, if necessary, take out a loan, Olson said.
Even without the Indiegogo campaign, he said the society has enough money for its first round of construction.
Panarchy leaders believe they will be back in the house by winter term, Panarchy co-president Chiara Santiago ‘15 said.
The society must still negotiate with the fire department, Olson said.
“I think we’ve talked with them a lot, so I think we’re all set,” he said. “But you know it’s always until they sign off on the final thing, there’s always a chance that could fall through.”
Martin McMillan, who began as Hanover’s fire department chief in May, directed requests for comment to Olson but indicated that the two spoke several weeks ago about the house.
Jabouin and Santiago have worked with other Panarchy members to cooperate with the fire department and the office of residential life.
“Our goal is to make sure they recognize that though it took us a while to get back on our feet because a lot of our leadership was focused in the ’14 class, we are a well established organization,” Jabouin said. “We care a lot about the house, and we really want to make sure that ’18s and ’17s and classes that come after that have the opportunity to enjoy what Panarchy is and experience it like we did when we were students at Dartmouth.”
Santiago said members hope to maintain the historical integrity of the house, considered a central part of Panarchy’s identity.
