Irish-born novelist and scholar C.S. Lewis is having a college created in his name—and it will be located on the sprawling 217-acre campus of a former New England boarding school in Northfield, Massachusetts.

The C.S. Lewis Foundation has been considering several locations throughout the United States for C.S. Lewis College and finally settled on the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Western Massachusetts to honor the author of the Chronicles of Narnia (Harper, 1950-1956) and to advance the renewal of Christian thought and creative expression.

Lewis, who was baptized in the Church of Ireland at birth, fell away from his faith during his adolescence, but returned to Christianity later in life, becoming “a very ordinary layman of the Church of England”.

In the spirit of Lewis’s own commitment to the idea of Mere (basic) Christianity, the college looks forward to a rich association with Christians of all traditions. “Today, as never before, young people are seeking an education that fully prepares them to understand and engage contemporary culture in a meaningful and creative way,” says Stan Mattson, founder and president of the C.S. Lewis Foundation. “The scenic and historic Northfield campus is an ideal setting for such a journey. We have already begun our work with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in hopes of opening C.S. Lewis College for students in the fall of 2012,” pending appropriate approvals and accreditations.

Since its founding in 1986, part of the foundation’s mission was to establish a prototype Christian “Great Books College” named in honor of Lewis. The college curriculum will emphasize the importance of reasoned thought, analysis and criticism, and focus on the visual and performing arts. The college will also encourage the values of service, the advancement of international understanding, and the promotion of health and fitness.

The Northfield Mount Hermon School, which had consolidated its program onto its nearby Mount Hermon campus in 2005, was in search of a new owner for the Northfield campus. The campus met the foundation’s criteria: it had historic significance, was located near other highly regarded educational institutions, and has scenic beauty.

The school’s founder, D. L. Moody was a well-known 19th century Christian evangelist who traveled and preached in the United States and abroad. The buildings include the historic Russell Sage Chapel and the auditorium, where both Theodore Roosevelt and legendary boxer Mohammed Ali spoke.

Hobby Lobby, a privately held national retail chain, purchased the property for a nominal fee of $100,000 in exchange for agreeing to preserve the campus and buildings. As owner of the Northfield property, Hobby Lobby will invest more than $5 million in operations and capital improvement projects in support of the creation of the college. .

The college, expected to open in the fall of 2012, is projected to enroll 400 students and employ a faculty of 40 and a staff of 45. Within five to seven years of opening, the college’s annual budget is expected to exceed $20 million. The college has just opened a new website to make the announcement.

The foundation also owns C.S. Lewis’ home, the Kilns, in Oxford, England, and it is used as a center to host seminars and scholars-in-residence.