Buildings of The Bryn Mawr School

1928 Gordon Building

In 1928, a 26-acre property known as The Orchards was purchased from the Gordon family, and the Bryn Mawr School took several years raising the money needed to move out of the downtown location on Cathedral Street and into newly renovated buildings in the country. Over the years, numerous buildings have been added to the campus as the school grew and new curricular needs came to light.

 

1928 Campus Map

In September 1928, Primary school and Main I (grade 5) students were moved to the newly renovated Gordon house. This move allowed the school to rent out the Primary building in Downtown Baltimore while master plans for the new campus were formulated.

 

             

1928 Melrose Ave Fund Raising Brochure

The initial campaign for the purchase of the Gordan Estate asked for gifts from alumnae, faculty and parents and successfully raised $100,000. With the funds raised, the Board used 50 percent of the funds as a down payment on the Gordon property and the other half was used for property improvements. The balance of the property purchase cost was financed.  To further aide with improvements on the new school property, a loan on the Cathedral Street building was secured. These actions facilitated the school’s move to the country but left no money to establish an endowment fund.

 

1931 Garrett Building

Under the direction of M. Carey Thomas, the new school building were designed to mimic the architectural style of the University of Virginia. Named after founder Mary Elizabeth Garrett, the Garrett Building was constructed of stone from Butler Quarry to match the Gate House on the property. After construction, Mains II and III (grades 6 and 7) moved into the newly constructed building. The athletic fields were completed by 1931 allowing all Bryn Mawr athletic teams the ability to play at the school as well.

 

1945 Hamilton Building Fund Raising Brochure

By 1945, the new Bryn Mawr campus was over-crowded and needed a building to house a library, science lab, and lunchroom. The Board planned a campaign to raise funds to construct a stone building similar to the Garrett building. The new building would be named for both Edith and Margaret Hamilton who had spent many years overseeing Bryn Mawr as headmistresses.

 

1950 Campus Map

The 1950 Campus Map reflects the addition of the Elizabeth Smith Thomas Auditorium to provide space for assemblies, plays, dinners, and dances. The campaign to build the Hamilton building had begun in January of 1946. But, the construction was delayed due to War Production Board restrictions on the use of building materials. The Hamilton building was named for both Headmistress’s Edith and Margaret Hamilton who had been leaders of Bryn Mawr but the building was not completed until 1953.

 

1966 Howell Building

The construction of the Howell Building was facilitated by an unprecedented gift of $500,000. This large gift and additional campaign funds allowed the school to build a new library-study-art center. The library would be a tribute to the ideals of Edith Hamilton and have space for over thirty thousand books. Fittingly, the library would be named after the former Headmistress Edith Hamilton.

 

1966 – 67 Building Space Survey

As new course work was added to the curriculum, the demand for appropriate class space was renewed. Periodic surveys of classroom space were taken to determine the best uses for existing facilities as well as the need for new spaces to address the current needs.

 

1972 Lower School

Three one-story open space buildings were ready for Bryn Mawr’s Lower School students in 1972. The Lower School complex was designed by acclaimed Swiss Bauhaus architect Marcel Breuer. In 2009, a renovation of the Lower School was completed. Learn more about Mr. Breuer by using the QR code provided below:

 

1987 Centennial Hall

Centennial Hall opened in 1987. The much needed new auditorium received an award from Preservation Maryland for “design and construction of an appropriate new building extending a traditional campus design.” Members of the Bryn Mawr community could contribute $100 to “name a seat” which earned the installation of a small plaque on one of five hundred seat arms.

 

1992 Barbara Landis Chase Dance School

Adjacent to Centennial Hall, a two thousand square foot dance studio was completed in the summer of 1992. The building was designed by the architecture firm currently named Cho, Ben, Holback + Associates, and received a Grand Design Award from the American Institute of Architects. The dance studio was renamed for Headmistress Barbara Landis Chase in 1994.

 

1996 LS Science Center

To mark the 25th anniversary of the Lower School Complex, plans for the addition of a Science Center for Lower School student use were formulated. The current Lower School Director, Peggy Bessent, wanted a space were nature could be observed year round. Space would be provided for work tables and computers to allow for experiments, observations, as well as work on group projects. Adjacent to the Science Center, a playground was built with animal themed tiles embedded in the Science center’s stone wall and a DNA molecule climber sculpted by Stan Edmister.

 

2006 North Building (renamed Higinbothom Hall – 2023)

The North Building was instrumental in reducing the crowding on the Bryn Mawr Campus. The three-story 28,500 square foot building included two science labs, a computer lab, a performing arts studios, numerous large classrooms, a faculty room and administrative offices. In 2023, a bequest from the estate of alumna Susanne Eck Higinbothom ’49 and her husband William allowed for a renovation and update of North Building. The building was renamed Higinbotham Hall in their honor. To learn more about the generous donation from the Higinbothom estate, scan the QR code provided below:

 

Bryn Mawr Campus 2024

The current Bryn Mawr Campus reflects the growth and addition of the numerous buildings that were needed as the school’s enrollment grew and the curriculum expanded. As we look to the future, we can feel confident that Bryn Mawr’s leadership will continue to respond with bold ideas and actions to create the best educational facilities for our students.