Early History

Glenwood Memorial, 1962

Pennsylvania Female College (2 Pg)

Unbeknownst to many, one of the primary reasons why the town of Freeland was renamed Collegeville was the Pennsylvania Female College.[1] The Pennsylvania Female College opened in 1853 and resided on Glenwood Avenue, only a few blocks from present day Ursinus College. Sadly though, in 1880, after having operated for twenty-seven years, the Female College was closed due to financial problems from a lack of an endowment and little support from southern states after the Civil War.[2] Because of this, the women who attended had no college nearby that would accept them.[3]

Freeland and Stine Halls

Landscape of Ursinus College From Olevian to Bomberger

Freeland Seminary, founded in 1848, was just a few blocks away from the Female College.[1] It was an institution committed to preparing its students for occupations in theological positions.[2] The founders of Ursinus College purchased the land from the seminary and opened its door to the public in 1869.[3] Ursinus College was exclusively male from its beginning in 1869 until 1880, both in terms of academics and social life.[4]

Three Institutions of Ursinus: The Ursinus School of Theology, Ursinus College, and the Ursinus Academy

Ursinus School of Theology and Members at on 32nd Chestnut Street, Philadelphia (2 Pg)

By 1870-71, as stated in the Ursinus Catalogue, Ursinus College was divided into three “institutions”: Ursinus College, which still exists today; Ursinus Academy, a college preparatory school; and Ursinus School of Theology or Seminary, a school for male students studying theology.[1] Because the campus was so large, each of these institutions existed simultaneously in the same space, yet they were separate, with seemingly little interaction among the three. This separation is clear when one looks at the small two-page spreads the Ursinus Ruby’s editors dedicated to the Academy and Seminary.[2]

As the campus grew, the school was no longer able to sustain having all three institutions. The first to go was the Seminary, which, after much negotiation, was relocated to Philadelphia.[3] The Seminary, to my knowledge, no longer exists, though it seems that Drexel University has taken over the land where the Seminary once stood. Eventually, due to a state driven initiative to incorporate college prep into high school curriculums, the Academy’s last year was 1909-1910.[4] By 1911, Ursinus College remained as the sole core of academic and social life in Collegeville.