Finding West Chester Campus Building Histories

Looking for information about the history of buildings on campus? There are several resources available online and in the Special Collections & Archives that will help.

First, check out our online resources.  Basic building information sheets are available from the facilities department.  This information will give you a basic overview of current buildings on campus.

You can find more historical information on campus buildings in Russell Sturzebecker's Centennial History of West Chester State College, which is a book which includes information on buildings up to 1971.  This book is available and searchable full text online here.  To search the book, open the "Read Online" version and use the search box.  You can also take a look at an index for this book here.

In conjunction with the book, you can also view a display documenting West Chester's history, including information on campus buildings. The display is located on the 2nd floor of FHG Library (Turn right as you enter the front doors).

Another useful resource, especially for photographs of buildings, are the West Chester University yearbooks.  These are also available and searchable online.  You can view the Pathfinder (1910 yearbook) or the Serpentine (1911-2008 yearbooks).  You'll have to open each individual volume in the "Read Online" format in order to use the search feature. 

There are also archival files in the Special Collection & Archives for many of the campus buildings.  The following is a list of buildings for which we have files.  If you are interested in viewing any of these, contact the Special Collections Librarian at libspeccol@wcupa.edu or (610)436-3456 to make an appointment. 

Philips Memorial

Philips Memorial Building - Library

Francis Harvey Green Library - Building - 1904

Francis Harvey Green Library - Building - 1964

Francis Harvey Green Library - Building - 1975

Gordon Natural Area

Old Main

Demonstration School/Model School/Ruby Jones - Building

Sykes College Union

Wayne Field

Old Gymnasium/Hollinger Field House

Memorial Plaza

Recitation Hall/Anderson Hall - Building

Ramsey Hall

Memorial Building

Ehinger Gymnasium

Tanglewood

Welkinweir

Messikomer Hall

E.O. Bull Learning Research Center

Tyson Hall (Dorm)

Schmucker Science Center

Swope Music Building

Goshen Hall

Killinger Hall

Lawrence Hall

Mitchell Hall

Sanderson Hall

Eisenhower Barracks

Farrell Stadium

Leach Hall

Sturzebecker Health Science Center (South Campus)

Glen Echo

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