After experiencing water intrusion and mold buildup, the Ledyard Clubhouse has been vacated, and Facilities, Operations and Management is determining the severity of the issues and how much repair the clubhouse will need.
The mold buildup was first detected last week, College spokesperson Justin Anderson called the problem inevitable, given the clubhouse's location and age.
"The house sits practically right on top of the water, so this was bound to happen," Anderson said. "You walk out of it and you're on the dock where you park kayaks and canoes. It's a wooden structure that has been there for some time and that needs to be repaired."
Two students affiliated with Ledyard were previously living in the house but moved to friends' homes off-campus.
Students using the space over the summer noticed some water entry in the clubhouse and alerted the College. While dehumidifiers supplied by Facilities, Operations and Management initially resolved the problem, the water intrusion returned when they were taken away.
It is too soon to say how long the repair will take and if the clubhouse can return to its original condition, Anderson said. Further assessments will determine if the clubhouse will require major changes beyond repairing the water damage.
Ledyard president Catalina Mejia '14 said club members recently cleared out the living quarters so that the College could more easily assess the damage.
"It's unfortunate because the clubhouse is such a great social space," Mejia said. "In the meantime, the rental business is running as usual, and we are running just as many flat-water and whitewater trips as ever."
The damage assessment and repair to the clubhouse will not affect Ledyard's boat rental operations, Anderson said.
Hundreds of students use the clubhouse every year to attend meetings, physical education classes and social events. The space serves as a social hub for the rest of the Dartmouth Outing Club, as well as a recreational resource for the Upper Valley community.
"The community uses it daily, whether it's alumni coming to rent canoes, students doing homework on our picnic tables, or student organizations coming to hang out by the river," Mejia said.
Ledyard members use the clubhouse as a space to meet and host to the club's weekly dinners, which are open to campus.
Two or three Ledyard members live in the clubhouse each term. Residents are responsible for overseeing the clubhouse and grounds and answering visitors' questions.
Ledyard was founded in 1920 as part of the Dartmouth Outing Club, and the clubhouse, located north of the Ledyard Bridge. Club members run canoeing and whitewater kayaking trips year-round and rent out canoes, kayaks and paddle-boards.
