Cornelia Center

The Cornelia Center after the 2013 renovation.

The Cornelia Parsons '80 Center is a community gathering building located on Vernon Street which houses the Career and Life Design Center. It was known as Vernon Social until 2021.

Named for Cornelia Parsons (Thornburgh) '80, who served on the Board of Trustees for 17 years and was its first female chair in 2014, the Cornelia Center is among the first college buildings named for a woman and the first for a woman who was alive at the time of dedication.

Built in 1997, the Vernon Social has been a public space open for student use, and was used to hold events including plays, concerts, movie nights, and lectures. The façade of the Cornelia Center features a bright mural of multi-colored patches entitled Wall Drawing #849: Irregular Blobs of Color, designed by the esteemed Hartford-born artist Sol LeWitt, which he painted in 1998.

Exterior of Vernon Social ca. 1998 (now Cornelia Center), with Sol LeWitt mural visible.

In 2013, the space was renovated and updated by Tecton Architects to add a stage and amphitheater-style seating, food services, bright colors, couches, patio and fire pits, and a bagel store in order to provide a social space on campus where students could study or relax and meet with friends.

Prior to the 2013 updates, Vernon Social was commonly referred to by students as the “Party Barn,” and was used as a space to hold parties organized by either student organizations or individual students. Alcohol consumption was common and hosts of the party would acquire permits in order to temporarily be allowed to legally serve alcohol on campus. The parties also often featured live music and bands.