On Dec. 2, 2022, the entire GA community–including students and faculty from all three divisions–gathered in Connor Quad to observe the beam raising for the new Health and Wellness Center.
Beam raising, also referred to as “topping out,” involves the last or highest beam being placed on the frame of a building during construction. During the ceremony, three students representing each division presented an American flag, a GA flag, and a pine tree that stood atop the beam.
“It’s just a way to honor this country with the American flag on the steel,” said Mr. Dan Houston, Director of Facilities. “We put the GA flag on the beam as well just to honor our own school, our own institution and kind of talk about our own history and think about those who came before us that helped us to build these buildings.”
The practice of beam raising, specifically the placing of a pine tree on the beam, originated from the ancient Scandinavian ritual of standing a tree on top of a completed structure to appease tree-dwelling spirits that may have been displaced during its construction.
Photo courtesy of Germantown Academy.
Today, the tradition has evolved into a ceremony involving members of a community celebrating the progress of a construction-based project.
Dr. Molly MacKean, Head of Upper School, said, “Any time the divisions get together, whether that’s flag raising, the holiday program, the pep rally, or yet another moment with the beam raising, any of those moments feels really rich and magical to me, in terms of how how much we’re reminding each other that we care enough about each other to come together at significant moments.”
Students also received the opportunity to sign the beam that would be lifted in the ceremony.
“It was cool to sign my name and leave a mark on GA’s history,” said junior Danika Staples.
“I think the symbolism of us being able to etch our names into the new chapter in a way that feels really personal and is rooted in a community event just felt like a really kind of rich symbolic moment for us here at GA,” said Dr. MacKean.
The ceremony marks an important stage of construction, as the Wellness Center’s metal structure is almost complete.
“After the steel is complete in a couple of weeks, they’re going to put the roof on the building and place the concrete for the floors on the lower level and the the main level, and then it’s a matter of putting exterior walls into place,” said Mr. Houston. “And that’s a point in construction where a building is considered dried in, which means that it’s basically contained from weather and then the contractors can start on all the interior construction.”
Though the Health and Wellness Center still has a long way to go before it is completed, the beam raising marks a significant stage in construction and offers an opportunity to gather and celebrate as a community.
“We can sort of pause and collectively take a moment to honor change happening in our community and the potential of it to make us happier and healthier and all the things that the Health and Wellness Center hopefully will provide for us moving forward,” said Dr. MacKean.