The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

Administration or Main Building

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Administration or Main Building (three-quarter view), Mount Aloysius College

Administration or Main Building (side view), Mount Aloysius College

Institution Name: Mount Aloysius College
Original/Historic Place Name: Mount Aloysius Academy
Location on Campus: 7373 Admiral Peary Hwy.
Date(s) of Construction:

1892-1897

original construction Longfellow, Alden & Harlow

Designer: Longfellow, Alden & Harlow
Type of Place: Individual building
Style: Gothic revival, Victorian, Other (Glossary)
Significance: architecture, education, history
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Materials:

Foundation: stone and mortar

Walls: brick and mortar

Roof: imitation slate

Function:

ca. 1897	other (Mount Aloysius Academy for young girls)
ca. 2004-present (2006)	classrooms
ca. 2004-present (2006)	administration

Narrative:
Fashioned on the design of a French chateau by turn of the century architects, Longfellow, Alden and Harlow, this beautifully impressive brick structure is seated on a hill, emphasizing its bell tower, smaller Norman tower, and arched loggias and doorway--invitations to an interior rich in architectural detail. The first floor boasts an oak stairway and several beautiful and unique fireplaces, some of which were cut from local cherry, maple, and oak.

The Administration/Main Building houses classrooms, administrative and faculty offices, physical plant facilities, admissions and business offices, institutional advancement offices, and the registrar' s office. The building is in use but in need of renovation to current standards for finishes, lighting, multimedia technologies, mechanical, and plumbing systems. The recently constructed new entranceway and courtyard, along with installation of new spot lights, have really enhanced the beauty of the Administration/Main Building. The building is structurally sound and in good overall condition.

References:

Derck and Edson Associates. Campus Master Plan. [Lititz, PA: Derck and Edson Associates], September 2000.

Floyd, Margaret Henderson. "Longfellow, Alden, and Harlow in Boston and Pittsburgh." In Architecture After Richardson: Regionalism Before Modernism. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press and Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, 1994.