Beams, builders, and bold futures STEM Center takes shape

The southwest corner of Harpeth Hall’s campus shows transformation in real time.

Steel stretches toward the skyline, scaffolding frames each new level, and the Dettwiller STEM Center — once only a vision on blueprints — now rises as a tangible display of what planning and community commitment can build.

This fall, in recognition and celebration of what is taking shape, two activities brought that momentum into focus.

In mid-October, two metal beams were placed in the Gambill Courtyard, inviting the school community to leave its mark. Students, faculty, trustees, and donors signed the beams with green and black Sharpies in hand. They added their names, messages, and well wishes to the metal that would become part of the structural support system embedded in the new 40,000-square-foot building.

“Building strong girls.”

“Curiosity is our catalyst. Our ability to innovate is infinite.”

“So excited for the future of STEM @HH.”

Later that month, as the school celebrated Halloween at the Hall, students and faculty turned their attention to recognizing the people behind the rising structure.

Upper school faculty dressed as construction workers in a playful nod to the crew building the new STEM center. The Public Purpose club officers led students in handwriting notes, composed in English and Spanish and complete with construction-themed stationery, to thank the crew for its dedication and hard work. Head of School Jess Hill, Director of the Upper School Frances Fondren-Bales, and Honey the Honeybear delivered the notes along with coffee and donuts — a small but sincere gesture to show how much the construction team is valued on our campus.

As students and faculty look forward to the opening of the Warner Science Building in early fall 2026 and the fully renovated Massey Center for mathematics in early winter 2027, the future of Harpeth Hall’s Dettwiller STEM Center feels both near and promising.

Strong STEM foundations have already propelled Harpeth Hall graduates into remarkable opportunities. For two classmates from the Class of 2023, that foundation is evident in very different corners of the scientific world.

At the University of Virginia, physics major Annie Linley ’23 contributes to cutting-edge research at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. She works alongside graduate students and physics professor Chris Neu to build and test a precision timing detector capable of measuring subatomic particles within 30 trillionths of a second. Annie is the only undergraduate on the team.

Across the field of environmental science, Susanna Payne ’23 is gaining hands-on research experience as a junior at Davidson College. After Hurricane Helene swept across North Carolina in 2024, environmental studies professor Brad Johnson set aside his syllabus and sent students — including Susanna — in to the field to study the storm’s impact. What began as a rapid-response assignment has evolved into a research project, sharpening skills that will carry her into future scientific work.

Their experiences are among the many alumnae paths that demonstrate the promise of what lies ahead for future Harpeth Hall students. With advanced labs, collaborative workspaces, and teacher expertise, the Dettwiller STEM Center will prepare today’s girls to push boundaries, ask bold questions, and pursue opportunities as wide-ranging and impactful as Annie’s and Susanna’s.

Click here to see the latest timelapse video of construction and drawings of the new building.