University of Mary Washington Then & Now

A Photography Exhibition

Posts in the Residence Building category

Randolph (blended)

Then Photograph

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

Now Photograph

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

Photograph editing by Jessica Reingold

Ball Hall (blended)

Then Photograph

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

Now Photograph

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

Photograph editing by Jessica Reingold

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. ↩

Brent House

As noted in University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008,  “in 1944 the College had purchased for $50,000 a brick residence located diagonally across from George Washington Hall.”1 The house was named Brent Hall in honor of Margaret Brent, an Englishwoman who came to America in 1638. 2 Margaret Brent eventually acquired “the site of what would become Fredericksburg.”3 From 1944 to 1947, Brent House served as the President’s home. After that it was the French language house residence hall, and then was “converted to administrative office space.”4

Today Brent House is where Emergency Management and Safety and the University Police are located.

Brent House, February 19, 2014

Brent House, February 19, 2014
Jessica Reingold, "Brent House," 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), 56. ↩
  2. Ibid. ↩
  3. Ibid. ↩
  4. Ibid. ↩

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. ↩

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. ↩
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