Highland Hall
About this property
Highland Hall, also known as the Courthouse Annex, was a Presbyterian seminary, an historic school building for females, a radio school during World War II, and a county office building before it became a retirement home in 2016. It is located in Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania. Highland Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Designed by noted Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan (1815-1884), Highland Hall was built sometime around 1865. It is now a four-story, L-shaped, stone building that features a mansard roof, which was a characteristic of the Second Empire style. It was originally built to serve as a Presbyterian seminary for both sexes. In 1911, it became a female academy and was officially named Highland Hall. It continued to be used as a girls' school until 1940. In 1940 it became a Roman Catholic Minor Seminary of the Third Order Regular Franciscans for young men studying for the priesthood. It closed in 1968 with four students(Karl Vargo, Robert Washco, Francis X. McGerity and Richard Williams) who transferred to St. Bernardine's Monastery for residence and continued their studies at Bishop Guilfoyle High School in Altoona.In 1969 Vargo and Williams withdrew as TOR Candidates. Rev. Robert Washco was ordained to the priesthood on June 11, 1977 for the Diocese of Cleveland/Greensburg and died on June 7, 2023. Rev. Francis X. McGerity was ordained to the priesthood on December 29,1984 for the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Tx. He is now a retired priest residing in Florida. In 1969, it was converted into a county office building. Highland Hall was subsequently turned into a sixty-five and older, affordable housing facility. The renovation work was performed by Keller Engineers and S&A Homes.
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 Highland Hall
This page lists Highland Hall. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Highland Hall listed on the National Register?
Highland Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 12, 1978.
What type of historic resource is Highland Hall?
Highland Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Highland Hall?
The period of significance for Highland Hall is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Highland Hall?
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 Highland Hall will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Blair County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Blair County.
Explore BlairCounty ›More historic places in Pennsylvania
Browse all historic places in Pennsylvania.
View Pennsylvaniahistoric sites ›Pennsylvania history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
Pennsylvaniahistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Highland Hall will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.