Historic Scovell Hall enters new chapter as home of UK Martin-Gatton CAFE
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 31, 2026) — The University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) celebrated the reopening of historic Scovell Hall today following a comprehensive renovation of the more than 120-year-old campus landmark.
University leaders, faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the project, which restored the building while creating spaces that will support collaboration, student success and community engagement for generations to come.
Originally constructed in 1903 as the home of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, Scovell Hall now serves as the college's administrative home, housing leadership for research, UK Cooperative Extension Service and student success, alongside academic programs dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Kentuckians.
"For more than a century, Scovell Hall has represented our college's commitment to serving Kentucky," said University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto. "This building connects our history with our future. It honors the generations of faculty, staff, students and supporters who built this college while providing a welcoming home for the collaboration, innovation and engagement that will define our next chapter.
Designed to serve both the campus community and the Commonwealth, the renovated building brings together teaching, UK Extension and administrative programs that support the college's land-grant mission. Scovell Hall is home to:
- Martin-Gatton CAFE administrative offices
- Leadership for research, UK Extension and student success
- Family and Consumer Sciences Extension
- The Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition
- The Department of Family Sciences
- The Department of Retailing and Tourism Management
- The School of Human Environmental Sciences
- The Lemon Tree Café and Teaching Kitchen
"These programs reflect the breadth of our land-grant mission," said Laura Stephenson, Ph.D., vice president for land-grant engagement and dean of Martin-Gatton CAFE. "Whether preparing future professionals, strengthening families, supporting local communities or improving health and quality of life, the work happening inside Scovell Hall will have an impact far beyond this campus."
Scovell Hall has evolved alongside the college for more than 120 years. When it opened in 1903, it was the largest building on campus. Named for Melville Amasa Scovell — the station's first director and the college's second dean — it remains a symbol of the university's enduring commitment to serving Kentucky through education, research and extension.
“In Kentucky, agriculture isn’t just an industry; it’s part of our identity,” said Kentucky State Rep. Chad Aull. “Reopening Scovell Hall reaffirms the University of Kentucky’s commitment to driving innovation out of the lab and straight into our farms, local businesses and communities. When we invest in Kentucky agriculture, we invest directly in our Commonwealth’s future.”
The reopening of Scovell Hall is one of several transformational capital investments underway across Martin-Gatton CAFE. Recent projects include the Martin-Gatton Agricultural Sciences Building, which opened in May, and the rebuild of research facilities at the Robinson Center in Jackson and the UK Research and Education Center in Princeton.
Construction also continues on the Meats and Foods Industry Advancement Center in Versailles, Kentucky, and the Agricultural Research Building, which will become one of the nation's premier agricultural research facilities upon completion.
“The reopening of Scovell Hall marks an exciting new chapter for the University of Kentucky and the students who will shape the future of agriculture, hospitality and nutrition,” said Kentucky State Rep. Matt Koch. “From a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen and modern classrooms to collaborative student spaces, the Dean’s Office and other administrative offices, this renovation honors Scovell Hall’s remarkable history while preparing students for tomorrow’s opportunities. What began as a modest multipurpose workspace for Melville Amasa Scovell more than a century ago has become a world-class learning environment that will inspire innovation and excellence for generations to come.”
Together, these investments are expanding the college's capacity to educate future leaders, advance research, strengthen Kentucky's agricultural industries and improve lives in communities across all 120 counties.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and healthcare. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.