How much do you know about Harcum College history? Did you know that Melville Hall was built in 1878 but it looked very different to how it appeared today? When Edith and Octavius Harcum first rented Melville Hall it was much smaller than it is now. The Harcums significantly expanded the building in 1917. Here is how it originally looked. Notice that the original bay window was kept and once could say, inspired the redesign. 

Melville Hall circa 1917. The building is one third the size it is now with only one bay window.

Melville Hall circa 1917. Image from 1917 Purple Yarns. Digitized and enhanced by Drew Simcox, Program Director & Associate Professor, Photography

 

After the 1917 expansion, Melville Hall was almost three times larger. 

Melville Hall after expansion in 1917

Melville Hall circa 1920. Image from Charles H. Trout Library's Digital Archives & Special Collections

 

The newly expanded building included a gymnasium in the basement. The gymnasium had a basketball hoop. The gymnasium was covered sometime after 1960 when the new gymnasium in Klein Hall was constructed. 

Gymnasium in the basement of Melville Hall circa 1917

You can read all about the history of the buildings standing and demolished on the Harcum College Bryn Mawr Campus in the online exhibit The Harcum Mile.

 Roxanne Sutton 

 Reference and Special Collections Librarian

 610-526-6022

     rsutton@harcum.edu