University of Mary Washington Then & Now

As quoted in University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008, the 1977 Bullet described Ball Hall as “The home of sophisticated girls, mostly seniors and lucky underclassmen…who act with a touch of class. Some noses are carried so high that…they are in danger of drowning in heavy rain.”¹

Ball Hall, originally named Mary Ball Hall after George Washington’s mother, was completed in 1935. This dormitory is the central building in a tri-unit dorm structure that included Madison and Custis Halls on either side of it. Located right on Ball Circle across from Virginia Hall, this dormitory  possesses an elegance that is lacking in newer, purely utilitarian dorms; Ball Hall boasts a grand entrance with a large reception area,  a circular stairway extending to an amber skylight three floors above, and two fine parlors illuminated by crystal chandeliers and wall sconces. ² Today, Ball Hall houses 105 women, second year or above, in double occupancy rooms with suite baths.³

Ball Hall 1987 "Front View of Ball Hall," 1987, Centennial Collection, UMW Digital Archives, University of Mary Washington.

Ball Hall 2014 Alexandria Parrish, "Ball Hall 2014," March 21, 2014, Personal Collection of Alexandria Parrish, University of Mary Washington.