Catholic University of America

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Tours

1. Historical CUA Tour

   The history behind some important campus locations.

   Stops

   1. Welcome to the Historical CUA Tour

      The history of The Catholic University of America dates back to the 1880s when bishops in the United States felt that a national Catholic higher education institution was needed. Although CUA eventually found its home in DC, the history of the land here certainly did not begin with the founding of the University; rather the land’s history dates to the 17^th century – before CUA was CUA and DC was DC!

       

      In the 17th century, this area was part of the Maryland colony and was populated largely by Native Americans. By the 18th century the area was settled by Europeans and Africans; the area largely became tobacco farmland and as such was populated by slaveholders and enslaved persons. It wasn’t until the early 19th century that a structure was built that would later serve as CUA's first building.

   2. The Founding of CUA

      The decision to create a Catholic University was made at the meeting of the Third Plenary Council of the American bishops in December 1884. This decision was heavily influenced by a gift of $300,000 offered for the purpose of creating a national Catholic university by Mary Gwendoline (known as “Mamie”) Caldwell, a friend of Bishop John Lancaster Spalding.  Fortuitously for the US Catholic bishops in favor of creating a national Catholic university, the Pope at this time, Pope Leo XIII who served from 1878 to 1903 and whose statue is pictured here, was very interested in higher education and very receptive to the proposal.  So, we can say that the Pope is the official founder of CUA!

       

      In 1885 it was decided that Washington, DC would be the location of this new university because the bishops saw it as a common ground – neither north nor south nor west – but as co-founder John Lancaster Spalding put it, “common ground upon which we can all meet to establish a national institution.”

       

      For the broader narrative, click here.

   3. The Smith/Middleton House

      On the grassy hill between McMahon Hall and the Pryzbyla Center is where in 1803 Samuel Harrison Smith and his wife Margaret Bayard Smith built a manor house that would later serve as one of CUA’s early campus buildings.

       

      The Smith property, also known as the Middleton Estate, was purchased by the bishops for the purpose of building the University in the 1886. The tract of land, acquired by the bishops, consisted of sixty-five acres and cost $29,500.  The Paulist Fathers, who were among the first to respond when religious communities were invited to affiliate with the new university, occupied the building from 1889 until 1914. They called it St. Thomas Aquinas College, and it was renamed St. Thomas Hall when it came to CUA as a dormitory.  It served in this manner until 1933 when it was repurposed as the School of Social Service.  The building was demolished in 1970.

       

      For the broader narrative, click here.

   4. Killian Field/Brookland Stadium

      The courtyard that lies between the Columbus School of Law and the Pryzbyla Center once was the stadium for Catholic University.  Dedicated in 1924 Killion Field played host to the CUA Cardinal Football team home games from its opening until 1985.  At the time of its opening, the stadium seated 25,000.  Notably, the 1935 Cardinal Team played on this field, amassing an 8-1 record.  This team ended up narrowly beating Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl by a score of 20-19.

       

      To get to the next stop on the tour, go through the Pryzbyla Building, up the stairs, and straight out the front.  Follow the route around Hannan Hall and up the hill to the old machinery under the tree: the former observatory.

   5. The Observatory

      Next to Curly Court you will see what remains of the Astronomical Observatory. The rather forlorn looking stump used to be the base of a telescope that was a part of the astronomical observatory on campus and is now an overlooked University landmark.

       

      The observatory was built in 1890 and it stood as the highest point on campus when it was built.  Its dome was 15 feet in diameter, and it was equipped with a telescope with a 9 inch aperture.  In 1892 comets were observed through the telescope and by 1910, courses in general and practical astronomy were being offered at CUA.

       

      Sadly, the observatory burned in the fall of 1924, and this is all that remains.

   6. CUA's First Undergraduates

      As you know by now, The Catholic University of America was first established for the purposes of graduate education and research. However, funding needs of the university made undergraduate education an appealing prospect. CUA’s first undergraduates (all male) arrived on campus in 1904. The presence of young adults with both energy and free time meant that soon they began requesting from the University Rector an athletic field. Although resistant at first, the Rector eventually relented allowing CUA’s first athletic field to be built on where Curly Court (student housing) now rests.

   7. Fort Slemmer

      On the Far North end of CUA’s campus (behind Marist Hall), on a slight knoll now covered with trees stands the former site of Fort Slemmer, a Civil War Fort. The actual site is across the street in the trees, inaccessible to foot traffic.  Please do not try to explore this area.

       

      Like the other forts built in D.C., Fort Slemmer’s purpose was to defend the Capital from Confederate forces in the surrounding states of Virginia and Maryland.  While this fort may not have seen any direct combat, many of its soldiers left to Pennsylvania in order to help repel General Lee’s advance in June 1863.

       

      Sadly, all that remains of this fort are some barely discernable ruins and a few stray bullets found in the undergrowth.

       

      For the broader narrative, click here.

   8. Marist Hall

      Marist Hall, originally housing the Fathers of the Society of Mary, was dedicated in 1900.  The Marist College originally moved to Brookland, in Brook’s Mansion, in 1891; however, space quickly became an issue, and they bought the land just to the north of the burgeoning CUA.  In 1931, they added the Marist Annex, located just behind the main building, as a convent for the Marist Sisters.

       

      The building remained in the hands of the college until it was transferred to CUA for a tract of land just North of Taylor Street.  In the possession of CUA, it has housed many departments and offices, including the Boystown Center, SLIS, English, Anthropology, Politics, Media Studies, and Development.  In 2011, an earthquake centered in Orange, VA (about 90 minutes to the south west of DC) caused structural damage to the building, forcing out its residents indefinitely.  As of March 2013, the School of Library and Information Science has moved back in, despite on-going reparations to the west wing.

   9. O'Boyle Hall

      The Corinthian columns that mark the façade of O’Boyle Hall were originally dedicated as Holy Cross College in 1900.  The Holy Cross Fathers, heeding the call to religious orders to advance Catholic higher education, located the college in Brookland, adjacent to CUA, in 1895.  Much like the Marists, the college quickly found space lacking and built a new building on a plot of land just north of campus.  It was dedicated in 1900 by Cardinal Gibbons of Baltimore, and blessed by Bishop Spaulding, a key advocate for Catholic higher education and CUA in general.  Spaulding also helped solidify the funding for Caldwell Hall.

       

      For the golden jubilee of the Holy Cross College in 1945, Most Reverend Giovanni Cicognanni, then Apostolic delegate to the US from Rome, celebrated the mass.  Near the end of the 1960’s, CUA took over the building.  In March of 1972, President Walton had the building renamed O’Boyle Hall on the retirement of Cardinal O’Boyle from active ministry.  Today, the departments of Education and Philosophy are primarily housed here.

   10. Hartke Theater

       In 1960, Fr. Gilbert Hartke, head of drama at CUA, foresaw the need for a new theater for the promising department by beginning fundraising efforts.  Little did he know that 6 years later, that need would become immediate when the roof of the surplus WWII warehouse collapsed under the weight of a fallen snow and the building was subsequently condemned.  For the first time in University History, CUA and the drama department, with Fr. Hartke in the lead, had to fundraise to establish the funds for a building project.

        

       Ultimately, the fundraising drive was successful, raising the nearly $2 million necessary.  The groundbreaking ceremony for the new 590 seat theater was held in the Fall of 1967 with many theater, DC, and Catholic Luminaries in attendance.  These included the Archbishop of DC and noted CUA alum, Ed McMahon.  Dedication of the new theater happened in 1970, and the plays and performances of the noteworthy CUA drama department have been held here ever since.

   11. Caldwell Hall

       The first building to be erected as part of the CUA campus was Caldwell Hall.

        

       On May 24, 1888 the cornerstone was laid for this building, which was known as called Divinity Hall at the time.  By late 1889, Caldwell Hall was completed. The University opened its doors in November of that year, where the President of the United States Benjamin Harrison was present. Caldwell Hall also has a chapel that was financed through a donation from Mary Caldwell’s younger sister, Lina. 

        

       Caldwell Hall, being the campus’s main building for a time, housed University scholars who had a national reputation, such as Msgr. George Higgins and Fr. John A. Ryan. 

        

       For the broader narrative, click here.

   12. Ward Hall

       Dr. Justine Ward, around 1928, originally imagined the building that stands to the west and slightly south of Caldwell Hall as a school of liturgical music.  She had already developed the “Ward Method” of teaching music during her studies in European liturgical music schools.  After construction began on portions of what would become her namesake hall, issues around faculty and construction brought her connection to CUA to a temporary close. 

        

       After CUA completed the building - including creating a department of music in 1950 and a final addition in 1956 – Ms. Ward and CUA were reconciled.  The building was named for her in 1967. 

   13. The Basilica

       Cardinal Gibbons blessed the foundation stone of the Shrine on September 23, 1920 with over 10,000 people gathered to watch.  The crypt church opened in 1924 (completed in 1926), and remained that way for 3 decades, due to funding difficulties that prevented the building of the rest of the basilica. The Great Depression and then the Second World War delayed construction until 1953 when the U.S. bishops renewed the effort to build the great upper church of the Shrine. The dedication mass for the upper church took place on November 20, 1959.

        

       Today, the Shrine is the largest Catholic Church building in the U.S. and North America, and one of the ten largest churches in the world.

        

       For the broader narrative, click here.

   14. Mullen Library

       In 1901 CUA’s second Rector, Thomas Conaty, was well aware that the University needed a separate library building. 

        

       The John K. Mullen of Denver Library wasn’t built until the 1920s, when the namesake of the library donated the money for its construction. In fact, there were complications attached to this gift, and the library actually had to be completed in phases: the full basement and front and central portions of the library were completed and opened in 1928, while the side portions were completed in 1958.

        

       The interior of the Mullen Library recently underwent a renovation from 2002 – 2004.