This map shows the District of Columbia (and surrounding areas) about 90 years before the opening of CUA. Prior to the University's founding, the immediate area went from Native to Colonial land, passed ownership a number of times, played host to…

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, later…

Established on land seized by the government, Fort Slemmer was built on the highest Hill of farmland owned by E.J. Middleton. The fort was named after Lt. Adam Slemmer, a Pennsylvanian who distinguished himself as a defender of Fort Pickens in…

This map shows the roads in the Washington D.C. area in 1863. Ft. Slemmer, which would be behind Marist Hall on the far north end of CUA’s campus, can be seen in the remote area to the north and east of the downtown area.

Pope Leo XIII, who served from 1878 to 1903, was very interested in higher education. He was therefore very receptive to a proposal submitted by the American bishops in 1884 that a Catholic university be founded in the U.S.

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, known then as Divinity Hall. The building was completed in 1889, and would eventually house scholars such as Fr.…

This shows a different perspective of the exterior of Caldwell Hall. The exterior of the chapel is also visible.

This is an interior view of the chapel in Caldwell Hall.

Next to Curly Court you will see what remains of the Astronomical Observatory. 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…

Having been founded as an institute for graduate study and research, the University did not admit undergraduates until 1904. This brought new challenges and opportunities for the University, including the need for athletics and space. The students in…