College Hall, University Of Pennsylvania
About this property
College Hall is the oldest building on the West Philadelphia campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to its construction, the university was located on Ninth Street in Center City, Philadelphia. The building was designed by Thomas Webb Richards and completed in 1873. The characteristic green color of the building is due to its composition of green serpentine stone. College Hall was placed on the National Register of Historic Places February 14, 1978. It is also a contributing property of the University of Pennsylvania Campus Historic District. The building currently houses the undergraduate admissions office, the university president's offices, the Department of History, and classrooms. The top floor of College Hall was purpose built for the Zelosophic and Philomathean Societies, and is presently home to the Philomathean Society, a literary society founded in 1813. Although College Hall and the now-demolished Blanchard Hall were rumored to be the model for the Victorian Gothic mansion in The Addams Family cartoons, the cartoonist Charles Addams repeatedly denied the claims. Renovation of College Hall's west wing commenced in 2023, and was complete as of early 2025.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about College Hall, University Of Pennsylvania
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Questions about this property
When was College Hall, University Of Pennsylvania listed on the National Register?
College Hall, University Of Pennsylvania was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 14, 1978.
What type of historic resource is College Hall, University Of Pennsylvania?
College Hall, University Of Pennsylvania is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for College Hall, University Of Pennsylvania?
The period of significance for College Hall, University Of Pennsylvania is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near College Hall, University Of Pennsylvania?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near College Hall, University Of Pennsylvania will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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