The original Berry Hall (known as Berry Hall I) was purchased from Pennsylvania Female College trustee George A. Berry for $80,000 (in 2019, this would be about $1.5 million). The purchase included the building itself, as well as 10.5 acres of land. At the time, it was considered to be the largest domestic structure in Pittsburgh. The building originally housed everything - lodging for administrators, faculty and students, as well as space for social appointments, classrooms, and a dining room and kitchen. An initial expansion in 1871 added hot and cold water as well as steam radiators to each floor, plus a gymnasium, a small museum, and rooms equipped for the study of science and music. Berry Hall I was expanded again in 1897, when a fourth floor was added to the building. Eventually, in the 1950s, the building, along with adjoining Dilworth Hall, became too costly to repair and was demolished to make way for the Chapel present on campus today.
Fall 2024 Hours
