ELLISVILLE ā During a recent episode of HGTVās Home Town, featuring the renovation of ĢĒŠÄÖ±²„ās Old Presidentās House on the Ellisville campus by two of JCās famous alumni, Ben and Erin Napier of Laurel, ĢĒŠÄÖ±²„ President, Dr. Jesse Smith announced a new program to be named in the coupleās honor. An old factory building, which currently houses maintenance and housekeeping departments, along with storage will be transformed into a centralized home for training future craftsmen to help rebuild hometowns across the country, called the Erin and Ben Napier School of Design and Building Construction.
āWatching them and seeing the growth that happens in the towns where their show goes, itās impressive to see and weāve learned a lot,ā said Smith. āThose trades and those craftsmenās skill sets are art and a craft thatās been lost. We want to reemphasize and teach those skills in a centralized location.ā
Napierās emotional response to the announcement during their show sparked support for the facility with donations through the ĢĒŠÄÖ±²„ Foundation. Smith anticipates the 14-million-dollar project will be partially funded through federal and state money, with private donations driving the project. The Napierās emphasized the difficulty in finding local craftsmen while renovating houses in the Laurel area, during the announcement of this project.
āWe are about 564 jobs short in our district in the construction trades industry, which consists of Clarke, Covington, Greene, Jasper, Jones, Perry, Smith, and Wayne Counties,ā Smith explained. āSome people might not think construction trades make a great career but most of these entrepreneurs do very well and itās a great life. We are very dependent on these craftsmen and artisans here, to keep the college going. Weāre building for the future.ā
Programs included in the new Napierās school include Computerized Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Painting, Foundations, Plumbing, Framing, Roofing, Electrical, Masonry, HVAC, Carpentry, Metalworking, Plastering, and Stonework. Many of these programs are currently available for students, however, Smith said having the programs in a centralized location encourages students to collaborate on projects.
āWe want to rebuild hometowns all over America. Small towns help make America great,ā said Smith. āWe are so grateful to Ben and Erin because they are restoring hope that we can rebuild our hometowns that are so near and dear to us. They are making a difference.ā
Classes in the new building are expected to begin in the fall of 2026 when the 35,435 square foot facility is anticipated to be completed. An additional 18,500 square feet will be added to the current 19,000-square-foot former factory building to create the new Napierās School.
āWe are so honored,ā said Erin Napier during the collegeās āLive Viewingā of the episode when the announcement was made on their show. āWe love Jones so much and to know this is going to be in the future plans for Jones, thank you! This is critically important because the trades are vital to us. We struggle to find great, talented people who do things like plaster work for example.ā
To learn more about the Erin and Ben Napier School of Building and Design and to make donations go to the website, /alumni_foundation/the-erin-ben-napier-school-of-design-building-arts/