University of Mary Washington Then & Now

A Photography Exhibition

Posts in the Housing category

Willard Dorm Room

Willard, the first dorm built on campus, was named after temperance leader Frances Willard.1  This dorm was home to many campus residence firsts including first coed dorm in the fall of 1973. 2   Willard was also the first dorm to have air-conditioning when it was installed during renovations in 1980.3   Students commented on the thickness of the walls and their ability to hinder sound, and thus Willard was long considered a wilder, party dorm.4 Adding to the legacy of Willard, President Combs and his family lived in the dorm for a short while in 1928 while looking for a residence in the area. 5

 

Willard Dorm Room, 2014

Willard Dorm Room 2014
Alexandria Parrish, "Willard Dorm Room," March 26, 2014, Personal Collection of Alexandria Parrish, University of Mary Washington.

Show 5 footnotes

  1. William B. Crawley Jr., University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008 (Fredericksburg: University of Mary Washington Foundation, 2008), 7. ↩
  2. Ibid., 93. ↩
  3. Ibid., 797. ↩
  4. Ibid., 375 ↩
  5. Ibid., 29. ↩

Virginia Dorm Room

Virginia Hall, one of the original dorms on campus, has been home to exclusively female students throughout its existence. Over the years, this dorm has gained many demeaning nicknames relating to the nature of its inhabitants.1 Although it does not have air-conditioning, Virginia is a coveted residence for incoming freshman due to its high ceilings, large rooms, and its convenient central location.

student in dorm 2014

Student in Dorm 2014
Alexandria Parrish, "Student in Dorm 2014," February 26, 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), 410. ↩

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. ↩
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