LANCASTER — For six years, the campus of Atlantic Union College has stood vacant, a shadow of its former self. But that might soon change, according to Ted Huskins, executive secretary of the Atlantic Union Conference, the property’s owner. The conference is actively seeking buyers for the site, which includes 15 buildings and a 35-acre dairy farm.
“We’ve put in millions of dollars into upkeep. And it may not look like it,” Huskins said, referencing the cost of maintaining the vacant campus, including taxes on what was once tax-exempt property and repairs to prevent further deterioration of the buildings. The property, once the center of Seventh-day Adventist education in the Northeast, has struggled to attract a suitable buyer since the college’s closure in 2018, according to MassLive.
What Is the Atlantic Union Conference?
The Atlantic Union Conference is the administrative body that oversees Seventh-day Adventist operations in the northeastern United States and Bermuda. It provides leadership, coordination, and support for six regional conferences: Bermuda, Greater New York, New York, Northeastern, Northern New England, and Southern New England. Each of these regional conferences is responsible for managing local church activities, schools, and ministries within its designated territory.
The Southern New England Conference, one of these six regional divisions, specifically manages Adventist churches, schools, and institutions in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. While it operates independently in handling local matters, it remains part of the larger Atlantic Union Conference structure, which serves as the overarching entity ensuring alignment with the denomination’s broader mission and goals across the region. This relationship allows regional conferences like Southern New England to focus on localized needs while benefiting from the Union Conference’s resources and support.
A Difficult Road to Sale
Atlantic Union College closed after years of financial trouble, losing accreditation in 2011 and seeing enrollment drop to just 50 students in its final year. Although some potential buyers showed interest, their offers either fell through or weren’t sufficient to meet the conference’s needs. Plans to repurpose the campus for educational uses also stalled as other Seventh-day Adventist colleges faced similar enrollment challenges.
The conference’s headquarters is preparing to relocate from Lancaster to Westborough, increasing the need to finalize a sale soon. Huskins hopes to secure offers by February, ideally from developers willing to respect the property’s history and community needs. “Nobody wants to see Best Buy here or Walmart,” he said, expressing a desire for housing or small businesses that fit the town’s atmosphere.
A Community in Mourning
Many local residents feel the loss of the college acutely. Cathy Weaver, who has lived near the campus for 34 years, described it as a “ghost town.” “A sadness, a longing for what was and still should be, lingers,” she said.
Others, like longtime Lancaster resident and local historian John Schumacher-Hardy, advocate for preserving the site’s historic buildings. Schumacher-Hardy, a 15th-generation Lancaster resident, has deep family ties to the college, as many of his relatives graduated from the institution. He has called on community members to support development plans that respect the campus’s history. One possibility involves South Lancaster Academy, operated by the Southern New England Conference, taking over some facilities. The Southern New England Conference, which is part of the Atlantic Union Conference, has already purchased several buildings on the campus, with South Lancaster Academy utilizing some of them for educational purposes. However, its future involvement with additional facilities remains unclear as discussions continue.
Huskins noted the property’s unique features—such as a grandfathered free sewer and water system—as potential selling points. Despite the challenges, both the Atlantic Union Conference and the community remain hopeful that the campus’s next chapter will respect its historic significance and provide a meaningful new purpose.
