Gillespie Hall is named for Belhaven's fifth president, Reverend Dr. Guy T. Gillespie, who served from 1921 until his retirement in 1954. Under Dr. Gillespie's leadership, Belhaven saw tremendous growth in academics, enrollment, and campus facilities. With his unwavering commitment and perseverance during his tenure, Belhaven earned full accreditation, created an endowment fund and offered scholarship aid to students despite serious financial limitations due to depression and war. It was also under his direction that the school was virtually rebuilt following a devastating fire in 1927 that destroyed the main building and most of its contents.
Gillespie Hall is a four story, female residence hall built in 1998 that features spacious community areas on each floor. A main staircase that cascades down the center of the building connecting the main areas of the building: a lounge on the first floor, a reception area on the second floor, study rooms on the third floor, and a full kitchen on the fourth floor. This four-story atrium looks out on the fountains of Belhaven Lake and provides a wonderful setting for studying or relaxing.
This residence hall houses 152 women with two styles of living. The majority of rooms are 14' by 16', double occupancy rooms that share a private bathroom with a connecting double occupancy room. There are also suites of private rooms on each wing in which four 8' by 11' single occupancy rooms share a living area and private bathroom.
All rooms are equipped with a high-definition TV service with DVR capability, as well as 1 Gbps broadband wireless internet access. Additional amenities include two laundry rooms (on the first and fourth floors) and an elevator. Two Resident Assistants live on each floor, and a professional Resident Director lives on the second floor.
Bookshelf fits on top of the desk and is the same width. It has one shelf set above the desk.