University of Mary Washington Then & Now

A Photography Exhibition

Posts in the Structural category

Jepson

Jepson Science Center was opened in April 1998, and became the home of the departments of biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and environmental science. These science departments were previously housed in Combs Hall on the opposite end of campus, but by the 1990s had become too large to be housed there. Jepson was originally to be built facing Simpson Library along Campus Walk, but was moved to its position near Alvey and Arrington Halls due to difficulties with the planned site. The construction of the new science center, a major boost to Mary Washington, was helped in large part by Robert and Alice Jepson. The Jepsons had previously funded a major faculty fellowship program and provided more aid in the creation of the science center, which now bears their name. Jepson Science Center is 72,000 square feet is size and features a computer lab, green house, and aquatic lab in addition to numerous classrooms and offices.1

Jepson Then Resized

Jepson Science Center, 2002
Lou Cordero, "Jepson Science Center," 2002, The Centennial Collection, UMW Digital Archives, University of Mary Washington.

Jepson Now Resized

Jepson, 2014
Alexandria Parrish, “Jepson,” February 19 2014, Personal Collection of Alexandria Parrish. University of Mary Washington.

Show 1 footnote

  1. William  B. Crawley Jr., University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008 (Fredericksburg: University of Mary Washington Foundation, 2008), 518-19. ↩

Fine Arts Center (Dupont, Pollard, Melchers)

The Fine Arts Center was built in the 1950s, during a wave of new construction across campus.1 The trio of buildings consists of DuPont, Melchers, and Pollard, which now house the departments of art, art history, music, and theatre & dance. DuPont is named in honor of Jessie Ball duPont, a prominent philanthropist.2 Melchers is named in honor of Julius Garibaldi “Gari” Melchers, an internationally-acclaimed painter who moved to Fredericksburg in his later years. After his death, his wife, Corinne, became a prominent benefactor of the arts.3 Pollard is named in honor of John Garland Pollard, Governor of Virginia during the Great Depression. While the dire economic conditions of the era limited the aid he could give to the school, he did help with the authorizing of resources for construction projects on campus, notably those for Seacobeck Hall.4   At the center of DuPont Hall is Klein Theatre, named for instructor of dramatic arts Albert R. Klein. He was a member of the theatre faculty from 1952 until his death in 1970; the following year the theatre was renamed in his honor.5 The Fine Arts Center was renovated in the mid-1990s, updating the facilities which had originally been built in the 1950s, including the addition of a computer lab in Melchers.6

Dupont Then Resized

Fine Arts Center, 1953
"Fine Arts Center," 1953, The Centennial Collection, UMW Digital Archives, University of Mary Washington.

Dupont Now Resized

Dupont, 2014
Alexandria Parrish, “Dupont,” February 19 2014, Personal Collection of Alexandria Parrish. University of Mary Washington.
Fine Arts Center dedication 1953 Resized

Fine Arts Center dedication, 1953
“Fine Arts Center dedication,” 1953, The Centennial Collection, UMW Digital Archives, University of Mary Washington.

Fine Arts Center Now Resized

Melchers, 2014
Alexandria Parrish, “Melchers,” February 19 2014, Personal Collection of Alexandria Parish. University of Mary Washington.

Show 6 footnotes

  1. William B. Crawley Jr., University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008 (Fredericksburg: University of Mary Washington Foundation, 2008), 57. ↩
  2. Jessie Ball duPont Fund: About Us, “Our History,” Jessie Ball duPont Fund, http://www.dupontfund.org/about/history/(Accessed April 18, 2014). ↩
  3. Crawley, 226-27. ↩
  4. Ibid., 31. ↩
  5. University of Mary Washington Theatre & Dance, “Klein Theatre,” University of Mary Washington, http://cas.umw.edu/theatre/online-tour/klein-theatre/(Accessed April 17, 2014). ↩
  6. Crawley, 572-74. ↩

Virginia

Virginia Hall, named after the Commonwealth of Virginia, was constructed in 1915 and is the second oldest residence hall on the campus.1 The building was an integral part of the “Daisy Chain” tradition. A chain consisting of thousands of daisies was carried on the shoulders of two-year diploma graduates during Class Day ceremonies. Virginia Hall served as the ultimate resting place for the chain, where it was to remain throughout the graduation ceremonies. This tradition continued through 1942, after which date the school stopped awarding two-year diplomas.2

Additional wings were added to the building in two stages, giving the dormitory the H shape seen today.3 Virginia houses approximately 183 female students of all  different classes.4

 

Virginia Hall

Virginia Hall 2014
Alexandria Parrish, "Virginia Hall 2014," February 19, 2014, Personal Collection of Alexandria Parrish, University of Mary Washington.

Show 4 footnotes

  1. William B. Crawley Jr., University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008 (Fredericksburg: University of Mary Washington Foundation, 2008), page 10. ↩
  2. Ibid., 38. ↩
  3. Ibid., 32. ↩
  4. University of Mary Washington Residence Life, “Virginia Hall,” University of Mary Washington, http://students.umw.edu/residencelife/virginia/ (Accessed April 15, 2014). ↩

Willard

Willard Hall was the school’s first residence hall and one of the first two buildings erected on campus. Originally called “The Dormitory,” it was named in honor of Frances Willard, a leader in the temperance movement. Constructed in 1911, Willard is known for its large rooms. 1 Willard was the first coed dorm on campus, when seven male students were moved in during the 1973-1974 term.2 With an important renovation in 1980, Willard was also the first dorm to have air conditioning. The residence hall was given a more modern look over the course of the renovations, along with important structural updates.3 The dormitory underwent renovations again in 2006, to maintain the building after almost one hundred years of use.4 It continues to be a coed dorm today, primarily housing upperclassmen.

Willard Then Resized 2

Willard Hall, n.d.
"Willard Hall," n.d., UMW Archives, University of Mary Washington.

Willard Now Resized 2

Willard, 2014
Alexandria Parrish, “Willard,” February 19 2014, Personal Collection of Alexandria Parrish. University of Mary Washington.

Show 4 footnotes

  1. William B. Crawley Jr., University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008 (Fredericksburg: University of Mary Washington Foundation, 2008), 6-9, ↩
  2. Ibid., 93. ↩
  3. Ibid., 216-17. ↩
  4. Ibid., 797. ↩

Westmoreland

Westmoreland Hall was completed and ready for students in 1939. 1   The residence is located next to George Washington Hall, the administrative hub of campus and across from Randolph and Mason residence halls. With the addition of male students to the University in the early 1970s, Westmoreland served as home to some of the overflow of males in need of housing. In the fall of 1975, it was turned into a coed dorm. 2 After this proved a success, the first coed dorm, Willard Hall, was established. Today, the building houses 111 upper-class students. 3

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Westmoreland Hall
"Westmoreland Hall," n.d., UMW Digital Archives, University of Mary Washington

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Westmoreland Hall, 2014
Alexandria Parrish, "Westmoreland Hall," March 21, 2014, Personal collection of Alexandria Parrish, University of Mary Washington

Show 3 footnotes

  1. William B. Crawley Jr., University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008 (Fredericksburg: University of Mary Washington Foundation, 2008), 43. ↩
  2. Ibid., 239. ↩
  3. University of Mary Washington Residence Life, “Westmoreland Hall,” http://students.umw.edu/residencelife/westmoreland/ (Accessed April 21, 2014). ↩

UMW Apartments

The UMW Apartments on William Street used to be a privately owned apartment complex before the University bought them. The apartments are for upperclassmen that have 60 or more credits. “They provide the opportunity for 350 junior and senior students to experience apartment-style living while enjoying all of the amenities of on-campus living.”1 The one-bedroom apartments house two individuals; the two-bedroom apartments house three individuals, and the three-bedroom apartments house four individuals.2

Apartments at UMW, November 5, 2003

Apartments at UMW, November 5, 2003
Lou Cordero, "Apartments at UMW," November 5, 2003, UMW Archives, University of Mary Washington.

UMW Apartments, February 23, 2014

UMW Apartments, February 23, 2014
Jessica Reingold, "UMW Apartments," February 23, 2014, Personal Collection of Jessica Reingold, University of Mary Washington.

 

 

Show 2 footnotes

  1. University of Mary Washington Residence Life, “UMW Apartments,” University of Mary Washington, http://students.umw.edu/residencelife/umwapartments/ (Accessed April 4, 2014). ↩
  2. Ibid. ↩

South

South Hall is a small co-ed first-year residence building located on the south end of campus behind Jefferson Hall and alongside Framar House. It houses 32 students and was completed in August of 1988. 1. In the late 1990s, the dormitory was the unofficial home to the Psi Upsilon fraternity brothers and in 2006, was one of the only four air-conditioned buildings on campus. 2

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South Hall, 1980-1989
"South Hall," 1980-1989, UMW Archives, University of Mary Washington

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South Hall, 2014
Jessica Reingold, "South Hall," February 19,2014, Personal Collection of Jessica Reingold, University of Mary Washington

Show 2 footnotes

  1. William B. Crawley Jr., University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008 (Fredericksburg: University of Mary Washington Foundation, 2008),375 ↩
  2. Ibid., 683. ↩

Russell

In 1965, a new dormitory was built on Sunken Road and named “Russell” in honor of the College’s former President Russell.1 Continuing through 1977, Russell Hall was an Upperclassmen residence hall. As quoted in University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008, both Russell and Jefferson halls acquired a personality described in the 1977 Bullet as, “Household words at UVa, U. of R., and Randy Mac. The ladies there are the darlings of the preps, and on most Friday and Saturday nights their dorm is the scene of more passes than a school of quarterbacks.”2

Today, Russell Hall is a co-ed, freshman residence hall that houses approximately 173 students.3 Russell Hall is a split-level building with double and triple rooms, and hall bathrooms.4

Russell Hall

Russell Hall
Judson Smith Studio, "Russell Hall," n.d., UMW Archives, University of Mary Washington.

Russell, February 19, 2014

Russell, February 19, 2014
Jessica Reingold, "Russell," February 19, 2014, Personal Collection of Jessica Reingold, University of Mary Washington.

Show 4 footnotes

  1. William B. Crawley Jr., University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008 (Fredericksburg: University of Mary Washington Foundation, 2008), 19. ↩
  2. Ibid., 244. ↩
  3. University of Mary Washington Residence Life, “Russell Hall,” University of Mary Washington, http://students.umw.edu/residencelife/russell/ ( Accessed April 4, 2014). ↩
  4. Ibid. ↩

Randolph

Randolph Hall, and its sister dorm, Mason, was constructed during a five-year building boom that began in 1950, and it was completed in 1954. 1  It was named for Martha Jefferson Randolph, daughter of President Thomas Jefferson. It recently underwent renovations and was reopened in Fall 2012 as a freshmen residence hall. 2

Randolph Hall, year needed citation

Randolph Hall, n.d.
H. Bagby, "Randolph Hall in the Fall," n.d., H. Bagby Collection, Simpson Library Special Collections, University of Mary Washington.

Randolph Hall, 2014 Photo courtesy of Jessica Reigngold

Randolph Hall, 2014
Jessica Reingold, "Randolph Hall," February 19, 2014, Personal Collection of Jessica Reingold, University of Mary Washington.

Show 2 footnotes

  1. William B. Crawley, Jr., University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008 (Fredericksburg: University of Mary Washington Foundation, 2008), 57. ↩
  2. University of Mary Washington Residence Life, “Randolph Hall,” University of Mary Washington, http://students.umw.edu/residencelife/randoph, (Accessed April 21, 2014). ↩

Mason

Mason Hall, and its sister dorm, Randolph, was constructed during a five-year building boom that began in 1950, and it was completed in 1957. 1  It was named for Ann Thomas Mason, mother of George Mason, author of the Virginia Bill of Rights. It recently underwent renovations and was reopened in Fall 2012 as an upperclassmen residence hall. 2 

Mason Hall Then

Mason Hall, 1954
"Mason Hall completed," 1954, Simpson Library Special Collections, University of Mary Washington.

Mason Now

Mason Hall, 2014
Carly Winfield, "Mason Hall," March 21, 2014, Personal Collection of Carly Winfield, University of Mary Washington.

Show 2 footnotes

  1. William B. Crawley, Jr., University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008 (Fredericksburg: University of Mary Washington Foundation, 2008), 57. ↩
  2. University of Mary Washington Residence Life, “Mason Hall,” University of Mary Washington, http://students.umw.edu/residencelife/mason/(Accessed April 21, 2014). ↩
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