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It’s not every day you uncover a fossilized tree trunk impression. But as renovations unfolded in the historic Packer Hall – soon to be reborn as the Clayton University Center – a steady stream of artifacts hidden behind its walls offered a unique look into the University’s storied past. From long lost sketches of the institution’s first president to fossils from its days as a museum, the discoveries proved just how much a building can collect over 150 years. One suspects a certain “Packer” would presumably be quite proud of the collection of artifacts.
Born from modest means, Connecticut-raised Asa Packer made a name for himself as an industrialist in Pennsylvania. A skilled entrepreneur, the humble Packer saw opportunity in building the Lehigh Valley Railroad to transport the many industrial goods being processed in the area. With the fortune he amassed, Asa founded Lehigh University in 1865, at the close of the Civil War.
When the aptly named Packer Hall opened in 1868 as the university’s very first building, it was constructed of light stone at Packer’s direction. From this cornerstone structure, the acclaimed institution grew – even offering free tuition to all of its students in its first twenty years thanks to Packer’s generous endowment.
No strangers to collegiate construction, having a hand in university structures from Northeastern to Harvard, Shepley Bulfinch was brought in to bring Packer Hall into the 21st century — the building’s first major renovation since 1956. Preserving many of the hall’s interior features, the firm wove the historic with the modern, creating new dining spaces, integrating restored arched windows into faculty offices, and even even an on-campus pub.
Reopened in January 2025, the Clayton UC building once again beats at the heart of Lehigh’s campus. And when the next renovation comes around, who knows what stories, secrets—or even fossils—might still be hiding in the walls?
