Caples Hall

From KCpedia

Caples Hall sits on the north side of campus, to the east of Middle Path. Located north of McBride and Mather Residence Halls, Caples is nine stories high, and at 100 feet is the tallest building in Knox County. Caples was named after the wife of longtime college President William G. Caples. Caples houses 146 students.

Construction of Caples was completed in 1971 as a third dormitory for the Coordinate College for Women on campus. Perkins and Will of Chicago were the architects, and Kokosing Construction Company, Inc., of Fredricktown, Ohio, built the structure. It was initially known only as "Dorm III," but a few years after Kenyon became co-educational, the name was changed. The building was dedicated as Jean Dunbar Caples Residence in a ceremony on May 17, 1975.

In 1979, Caples was the site of a tragic accident when sophomore Doug Shafer fell down the elevator shaft. He died due to the injuries sustained in his fall, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death have never been fully explained. Details about the reasons for Doug's fall are unknown, but there was no mechanical fault with the machine at the time. His death has been the basis for many ghost stories in Caples.