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Appalachian State University Welcome Sign Under Construction to Become a Founders Plaza

The beloved welcome sign has been taken down in preparation for the new sign.

Savannah R. Watts

As freshman and transfer orientation wrapped up at the end of June, the Appalachian State University welcome sign went under construction. The sign is a favored spot of visitors, incoming students, and graduating seniors for photographs as it stands bold against the lush green trees of Durham Park and historic brick buildings on the university’s campus.

A B.B. Dougherty sculpture will be installed in the new plaza.

The new construction is part of the Founders Plaza being created to honor B.B. and D.D. Dougherty and Lillie Shull Dougherty. This plaza will be the new resting home for the B.B. Dougherty sculpture, as well as provide a new outdoor space for studying, small gatherings and scheduled campus events.

The Founders Plaza will be home to the B.B. Dougherty sculpture and provide a new outdoor space for studying, small gatherings and scheduled campus events.

In addition to the new space, the Founders Plaza will also feature a new, larger, more iconic sign displaying the university’s name and welcoming visitors and locals alike to Appalachian State University. The new Founders Plaza’s construction is a well-planned addition to the 50th anniversary of Appalachian State University’s expansion from a teacher’s college into a multidisciplinary state university.

On September 5, the Founders Plaza will be dedicated during the 2018-2019 opening ceremony with a luncheon at the site following. The opening ceremony celebrates the first day of classes and kicks off the school year and is held fittingly on Founders Day; now, it will also honor the first day of classes from 1899 every year forward.

The construction of the Founders Plaza is being completed by Greene Construction, Inc. of Boone, NC.

The construction of the Founders Plaza is being completed by Greene Construction, Inc. of Boone, NC. Greene Construction, Inc. frequently assists the university in projects and is honored the privilege of celebrating the university’s history.

The Founders Plaza is set to be finished before classes commence in August and will be located on Highway 321 between Hardin Street and Dauph Blan Street. For more information from Chancellor Sheri Everts regarding the sign, visit https://chancellor.appstate.edu/messages and review her remarks from March 16 (7th paragraph) and June 22 (6th paragraph) of this year. More information about Greene Construction, Inc. can be found at their website, http://www.greeneconstructionnc.com/.

The Founders Plaza will be completed before classes start back.