Institution

In 2011, construction ended on Salisbury University’s Sea Gull Square on the south side of campus, off Route 13. It was Salisbury University’s tenth existing residence hall, excluding the repurposed Holloway Hall. It is the largest of the housing options on the school’s campus and was named after Salisbury University students’ nickname, “the sea gulls.”Sea Gull Square has a total of five stories. The facility takes up 230,000 square feet, and cost $45 million to complete. Its most distinctive features include an illuminated clock tower and a breezeway leading from a courtyard on its east side to the lawn on its west. The building’s ground floor consists of a lobby, classroom, and fitness room. The remaining floors house 185 apartment style single units for student housing. Each apartment houses approximately four people, and features a kitchen, two bathrooms, common area, and laundry facilities. Sea Gull Square is more than merely a residence hall. It is also home to the Salisbury University Housing and Residence Life offices. Facing Route 13, the building's ground level suites are leased to businesses ranging from restaurants to jewelers. It also features a lawn, volleyball court, and pavilion with grills on its west side.With the duality of student housing and local business, Sea Gull Square hopes to epitomize the close relationship between Salisbury University and the community it calls home.

Back of Sea Gull Square and Volleyball Court, 2020

Grills at Pavilion Outside Sea Gull Square, 2020

Salisbury University Opens $45 Million Seagull Square

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SUA-031 Office of Publication Photographs Finding Aid

Sea Gull Square is one of Salisbury University’s residence halls. It opened in 2011 and primarily houses upper level students in apartment style living. It also has retail space on its ground level facing Route 13 and currently has businesses ranging from restaurants to jewelers. It also features a lawn, volleyball court, and pavilion with grills on its west side.


Sea Gull Square

This walking tour leads you around the beautiful main campus of Salisbury University and includes brief histories on all of SU's current academic and residential halls. 

Land was purchased for the site of the newly planned Maryland State Normal School in 1923 for $16,000. Construction for the school’s building was predicted to cost one million dollars. While the school was intended to open in 1924, this was postponed until 1925 due to a delay in state funding for the building, which came in portions at a time. The cornerstone was not laid until 1928, even though a wing of the building had been operational for three years at this time. The building in its entirety was completed in 1932. The first phase of construction included the hall’s north wing and connecting wing. This would eventually house the college’s demonstration school and library. It also housed female dormitories on its second and third floors. The second phase completed the center of the building and the administration unit. This would become the main part of the building, featuring a clock tower and colonial style columns. The first floor included faculty and administrative offices, a store, post office, and auditorium. The second floor housed classrooms, while the third floor had more female dormitories. A gymnasium was added in 1932. The third and final phase completed the South Wing, which included a long awaited large dining hall, guest suites for male visitors, an infirmary, and social room. Although open during the 1920s, Holloway Hall was not officially named until forty years later. In 1966, “the main building,” as it was called, was designated as Holloway Hall. It was named after Dr. William J. Holloway, president of the school from 1925 to 1934, who was instrumental in its founding and early success. Over the years, Holloway Hall has undergone a series of changes as the school expanded. In 1935, a science department was integrated into the second floor, which included the conversion of several classrooms into laboratories. In 1950, the basement of Holloway Hall was converted into a Student Center, and its demand to house students decreased with the construction of an additional dormitory, Wicomico Hall. As more buildings were constructed on campus, less of a burden was placed on Holloway Hall to accommodate all of the college’s interests. The building also had several renovations in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Under the presidency of Dr. Thomas Bellavance, Holloway Hall began its transition into an administrative building. However, the newly named Perdue School of Business was given the Northwest wing in the 1980s. This school, too, would eventually move to its own building in 2011.  Holloway Hall now mainly serves as an administration building for Salisbury University. It contains administrative and faculty offices, the Copy Center, Human Resources, Institutional Equity, Registrar, Veteran Affairs, Cashier, Financial Aid, Publications, Public Relations and PACE offices. It also houses Student Health Services, a 713-seat auditorium, a small selection of classrooms, a social room and great hall. It continues to host regular musical and visual performances in its auditorium and great hall.

Holloway Hall is the oldest building at Salisbury University and was the only building on the State Normal School campus until 1955. Construction began in 1923, and the building opened on September 7, 1925 for 105 students. Additions were added to the building in 1928, and finally completed in 1932. Holloway Hall held the cafeteria, dormitories, classrooms, and even a “demonstration school,” until the State Normal School expanded in 1955. The building was officially named in 1966 after Dr. William J. Holloway, the first president of the school. Until then, it was simply known as the “main building.” It currently serves as Salisbury University’s administrative office building.

Holloway Hall

During the 1981-1982 academic year, Salisbury State College announced it would be either renovating or building over Tawes Gym to establish a building for the visual arts, music, and communications programs. In 1984, the State of Maryland invested $200,000 into the planning budget for educational buildings centered around arts and music. The addition of a liberal arts school, as well as the addition of schools for science, business, and education, led Salisbury State College to change its name to Salisbury State University in 1988. A year later, Charles R. and Martha N. Fulton endowed the university’s new liberal arts school. Tawes Gym was demolished and ground was broken for Fulton Hall on November 9, 1989. Construction of Fulton Hall, the home of the Charles R. and Martha N. Fulton School of Liberal Arts, concluded in 1992. Fulton Hall was the first state supported building erected at Salisbury State College since the completion of Maggs Gym in 1977 and the most expensive of its time. Built in a Georgian style of Flemish bond brickwork, Fulton Hall is over 85,000 square feet. It features a high peaked slate roof, a two story columned entrance, and ornamental bricking. The recognizable fountain in the courtyard significantly increased the cost of construction by thousands of dollars as it required a brick base. Original plans for the building included a Black box theater, a performance hall, a music library, a recording studio, two rehearsal halls, an art studio, two radio stations (WSCL and WSUR), and a television studio. While the television and radio studios were ultimately moved elsewhere, the other features were included, as well as an art gallery, a ceramics studio, an outside courtyard, a glassblowing studio, and photo dark rooms. The dedication ceremony for Fulton Hall took place on May 1, 1992. Several Maryland political figures were in attendance, including Governor William D. Schaefer, as well as the Fultons themselves. The ceremony, themed “Tradition, Art and Innovation,” included a one man show by theater program director Paul Pffeifer, a performance by the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra, a student art exhibit, the Psi Chi Honor Society initiation, the History Department Honors Symposium, a ceramics exhibit, and a Delmarva Research Center Exhibit on railroads on the Delmarva peninsula.  Fulton Hall continues to serve its intended purpose today as the home of the visual and performing arts programs, and houses the offices of Fulton School professors and administration. The inlets surrounding the building display permanent sculptures as well as student pieces on temporary display, in addition to various plants that are part of the campus’ arboretum initiative.   The facilities of Fulton Hall are not solely reserved for the students and staff of the university. The Salisbury community is encouraged to attend plays at the Black box theater, which are performed each semester by Salisbury University’s theater students, as well as view the art housed there.

Fulton Hall is the flagship building for Salisbury University’s School of Liberal Arts. Construction began in 1989, and the building opened in 1992. It is named for Charles R. and Martha N. Fulton, who endowed the liberal arts school in 1989. The building itself was funded by the State of Maryland. Fulton Hall houses the visual and performing arts facilities of Salisbury University, as well as a Black box theater, art and musical studios, and the offices of professors in the liberal arts school.

Fulton Hall

Salisbury University’s Samuel W. and Marilyn C. Seidel School of Teacher Education was previously housed in Caruthers Hall. As Salisbury University’s education program grew, improved facilities were needed to accommodate the increasing amount of young teachers. In 2006, construction began on a new Teacher Education and Technology Center (TETC). The building’s construction concluded in June 2008 and the building opened in time for the 2008-2009 academic year in September.  Costing $65 million, the building is three stories tall and totals 165,000 square feet. As the home of the University’s education school, TETC features several facilities previously found in Caruthers Hall, as well as new programs. The May Literacy Center offers after-school tutoring and reading programs to area youth. The Dr. Ernie Bond Curriculum Resource Center and the Carol and Jim Powers Reading room houses a collection of children's literature and other teaching materials available for student teachers to borrow for use in their classroom. Also included are adult education clinics, SMART and distance learning classrooms, tiered lecture halls, conference rooms, and a grab-and-go cafe. In addition to the Seidel school, the building also houses Salisbury University’s social work department, as well as offices of several departments of the Fulton School of Liberal Arts.  As its original name suggests, Conway Hall also serves as Salisbury University’s primary technology center. The building houses eight computer labs with a total of 200 computer seats. Also featured are video production and audio studios. The first floor is home to a plasma screen media gallery and exhibition space, and professors have the opportunity to teach in the building’s Integrated Media Center. The Teacher Education and Technology Center was renamed and rededicated as Conway Hall in 2016. It was named after former Delegate Norman Conway. Delegate Conway was an alumnus of Salisbury University who served as an educator before entering politics. From 2003-2014, Delegate Conway was chairman of the House of Delegates Appropriations Committee, and was instrumental in securing funds for the new building.

Conway Hall is the home of Salisbury University’s Samuel W. and Marilyn C. Seidel School of Teacher Education and serves as the University’s technology center. It was completed and opened in 2008.  Originally named the Teacher Education and Technology Center (TETC), the building was renamed in 2016 after longtime Delegate Norman Conway, an alumnus of Salisbury University. 

Conway Hall

Construction began on Chesapeake Hall in 1975 and was tentatively called the Chesapeake Complex before its completion. The new dormitory opened in September 1976 under the presidency of Dr. Norman Crawford. Chesapeake Hall would be the seventh on-campus residence hall at Salisbury State College.  Chesapeake Hall is a brick, three story structure. It consists of twenty-three single gendered apartments. Each apartment has four bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, laundry capabilities, lounge, and private entrance. Apartments on the second story have a shared balcony. Eight students live in each apartment.  Reception to the new dormitory was initially lukewarm. The building was not fully furnished until November and the eligibility system was met with controversy. Chesapeake Hall was intended to exclusively house seniors as preparation for apartment style living after graduation. However, this intention was often overlooked to also prioritize Juniors. Groups of eight signed up to live together in the dorm, with priority determined by student seniority and where they had lived the previous year. Those living in traditional single-sex dorms were given priority over those living in co-ed dorms. Despite the initial chilly reception, Chesapeake Hall eventually became one of the most popular residence halls on campus. Chesapeake Hall is still in operation today. However, it now primarily houses sophomores, not upper level students. The dorm also has a communal lounge with a full kitchen on the first floor.

Chesapeake Hall is one of Salisbury University’s on-campus residence halls. It was the seventh on-campus dormitory and was built with the intention of providing housing for juniors and seniors.  It now primarily houses sophomores. Unlike the other residence halls, Chesapeake Hall contains apartment-style dorms and houses eight students per unit. The building opened in September 1976 under the presidency of Dr. Norman Crawford. 


Chesapeake Hall

In the early 1980s, a need for more dormitories became apparent at Salisbury State College (SSC). By the summer of 1983, SSC had a shortage of 300 living spaces for the student population. The college would attempt to solve this problem by purchasing and building new student living spaces. This included the purchase of modular homes on Dogwood Drive to form “Dogwood Village” in 1985, and the construction of St. Martin Hall at $4,005,000 in 1986. Located adjacent to Chesapeake Hall, St. Martin Hall was built with the intention to house upper level students. The rooms are in a suite style: “two students share a room and they are connected to another double occupancy room by a bathroom with a shower and a toilet. Each room has its own sink” (Salisbury University, St. Martin Hall). The suites could be single sex or co-ed and open to an external hallway. Groups of four signed up to live in the dorm, with priority based on student seniority. Being three stories, its first floor was notable for being handicap accessible.  Construction of St. Martin Hall was completed in 1986. The building opened for students in the fall of that year, immediately remedying the housing shortage. President Thomas Bellavance commented, "It is not only a handsome building that adds to our total campus, but it was built in a remarkably short time allowing us to house more students on campus this year than at any other time in the history of the College" (Bradley). A dedication was scheduled for the following February. However, the dedication did not take place until May, as the “Great Snow of ‘87” forced its postponement.  St. Martin Hall is still in operation today. However, it now houses new students, not juniors and seniors. Each floor has a lounge, with a full kitchen and laundry units accessible to residents on the ground floor.

St. Martin Hall is one of Salisbury University’s on-campus residence halls. It was the eighth on-campus dormitory and built with the intention of providing needed housing for juniors and seniors. The building opened during the fall of 1986, but was formally dedicated by Salisbury State College’s President Thomas Bellavance in the spring of 1987. It is unique from other residence halls as the rooms are suite-style, housing four students per suite, and rooms opening to an external hallway. 

St. Martin Hall

Salisbury University’s Blackwell Library was in dire need of an upgrade. Having outgrown its original space in Holloway Hall in 1957, SU’s library had continued to expand in Blackwell Library which housed the University’s collections and offered computers and study space to the increasing student population. As years passed, the library collection surpassed the available space in Blackwell and the need for a new, updated space became apparent. In 2014, ground was broken for a four story academic commons, which would serve as the school’s new library building. It would also house additional student facilities not included in Blackwell Library. The Patricia R. Guerrieri Academic Commons opened in September 2016, and was dedicated in memory of university alumna and donor Patricia R. Guerrieri, whose family had donated $8 million to the new building’s construction and collections. The first floor of the building has three entrances from the east, south, and west. Facing Route 13, the east entrance opens to an exhibit space populated with materials from the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture, housed on the building’s fourth floor. The south entrance opens to the library’s late night study area, the Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company (a coffee shop), Hungry Minds Express (a satellite dining option) and the library’s reference and circulation desks. Facing Red Square, the west entrance opens to “the pit,” the library’s primary computer lab and study area. In addition to library services, there are classrooms, group study rooms, conference rooms, offices, printing facilities, a Maker Lab (a hub for experimenting with new technologies including 3-D printing and scanning capabilities, virtual reality access, and single-board computers and microcontrollers), and additional computer labs.  The second floor is home to a series of group study rooms, which can be reserved by the hour. It also houses student academic services including the Center for Student Achievement, Math Emporium, TRiO, and Writing Center. Also on the second floor is the Office of Instructional Design and Delivery, which provides faculty support as well as audio and recording studios for instructors engaged in distance learning. Lastly, there is a Graduate Commons, a space reserved for the university’s growing number of graduate students. The third floor contains the library’s stacks. The stacks are designated as silent study areas. The computers and tables outside of the enclosed stacks are for quiet study. The third floor also has two classrooms designated for use by Salisbury University’s Honors College. The fourth floor of the academic commons is home to the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture. The Nabb Center has a permanent exhibit on life on Delmarva as well as an additional space that features a new exhibit each semester. Inside the Nabb Center are non-circulating stacks, local history archives, computers, a classroom, and microfilm collection. The Nabb Center is also home to the Salisbury University archives and Special Collections and an archaeology lab. While the Nabb Center is its primary feature, the fourth floor also houses a collection storage space, conference room, and a 400 seat assembly hall. For an immersive, behind-the-scenes tour of the Nabb Center, click "Take the Tour" at the top of this page. The Patricia R. Guerrieri Academic Commons building features unique architecture and incorporates colors and styles representing the Eastern Shore. Over “the pit” is a 64 foot atrium lit by skylights and a glass wall facing Red Square. While elevators are available, ascending all floors of the building is a staircase arranged in the shape of a crab. The building is topped off by a 20,000 square foot lawn on its roof, and has a 147-foot carillon tower, housing a 48 bell instrument that was donated by William Church.

The Guerrieri Academic Commons is Salisbury University’s library, as well as the home of other academic support departments such as the Writing Center, Office of Instructional Design and Delivery, and the Nabb Research Center to name a few. Construction began in 2014, and the building opened in 2016. The building was named in memory of Patricia R. Guerrieri, an alumna and notable donor of the university, whose family contributed to the building of the new library. 

Guerrieri Academic Commons

In 1988, Salisbury State University’s School of Science and Technology was renamed after aviation philanthropist Richard A. Henson, who had endowed the school for $2.5 million. In 1990, plans were proposed to remodel the science school’s building, previously named Devilbiss Hall. However, these remodeling plans were abandoned in favor of constructing a new science hall for $37.3 million. The Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology was relocated to the new building, while the Departments of Nursing and Health Sciences would move from off campus facilities on Powers Street to Devilbiss. A single story dining hall and a multipurpose building were demolished to open space for the new science building. A groundbreaking ceremony for Henson Hall took place in November of 2000. Maryland Governor Parris Glendening was in attendance, along with University president Dr. Janet Dudley-Eshbach, and Maryland State Delegate Norman Conway. Henson Hall was completed and formally dedicated in September of 2002. A three story brick structure of 145,000 square feet, the building was the largest on Salisbury University’s campus at the time of its completion.  Henson Hall houses the departments of biology/environmental health, chemistry, physics and engineering, mathematics and computer science, and geography and geosciences. In addition to ninety-five faculty and staff offices, the building also has ten classrooms, two tiered auditoriums, thirty-two teaching laboratories, twenty research laboratories, and a cafe. This includes the Guerrieri Laboratory Wing, which had been endowed by the Guerrieri Family Foundation of Ocean City. The same foundation had also provided an endowment of $850,000 to pay for state of the art equipment for the new building. Henson Hall continues to serve as the hub of Salisbury University’s science school, housing learning and research spaces as well as professors offices.

Henson Science Hall (Henson Hall) is Salisbury University’s primary science building. It was named after Richard A. Henson, an aviation philanthropist who endowed Salisbury University’s School of Science and Technology in 1988. Construction began in late 2000, and the building was officially dedicated in September of 2002. In addition to faculty offices, the building contains classrooms, auditoriums, laboratories, and a cafe.

Henson Science Hall

In 1986, Salisbury State College's business school was endowed by Frank Perdue, a poultry industry entrepreneur, and was originally housed in the Northern Wing of Holloway Hall. In 2006, an $8 million donation from the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation was given for the purpose of constructing an entirely new building for the business school. Three years later, ground was broken for Perdue Hall. The building was completed and opened in 2011. It is three stories, housing twenty-nine classrooms and labs, and sixty-three faculty offices. The construction of Perdue Hall cost $55 million, consisting of private and state funding. The building was outfitted with technology totaling $3.1 million in value. The first floor of Perdue Hall has two primary entrances. One faces westward towards the middle of campus, while the other faces north in the same direction as Route 13. Entering from the west leads one into the building’s atrium, which offers a lounge, café, and stock ticker. Through the atrium is the 200 seat John J. and Dolores F. Bennett Auditorium, the largest lecture hall on Salisbury University’s campus. Entering from the north leads to the Franklin P. Perdue Museum of Business and Entrepreneurship. The archive and museum house a collection of memorabilia of Perdue Farms and presents the history of the Perdue family. Also housed on the first floor are group work rooms and computer and research labs, including the Business Outreach Services Suite, Student Services Suite, and the Robert and Rebekah Moyle Market Research Laboratory.  The second floor of Perdue Hall mainly houses classrooms and faculty offices. The Accounting and Legal Studies, and Economics and Finance departments are located here, as well as the Judkins Family Financial Research Center. The third floor of the building houses the Information and Decision Sciences, and Management and Marketing departments, as well as the offices of the Franklin P. Perdue School of Business Dean, M.B.A. program and global studies program. It is also home to the Advanced Information Technology and Enterprise System labs, and four executive level classrooms for graduate student and community use. Two are named after Andrew Carnegie and Alexander Hamilton, Frank Perdue’s heroes. The Franklin P. Perdue Museum of Business and Entrepreneurship is open to the public. Please check the <a href="https://www.salisbury.edu/academic-offices/business/perdue-museum/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">website </a>for its hours. Perdue Hall's 200 seat lecture hall as well as other classrooms are routinely used by community members for public events.

Perdue Hall is home to Salisbury University’s business school. It opened in 2011 under the presidency of Dr. Janet Dudley-Eshbach. The building and business school are named after the poultry industry entrepreneur Frank Perdue, who endowed the school in 1986. The hall houses the facilities, classrooms, and offices of the Franklin P. Perdue School of Business, as well as the Franklin P. Perdue Museum of Business and Entrepreneurship.

Perdue Hall

In 1967, plans for the construction of a new physical education complex were announced for Salisbury State College. With the construction of the College’s Tawes Gym six years prior, physical education had grown into one of the school’s most popular majors. Under SSC's president Dr. Norman Crawford, a new gym and physical education epicenter was completed in 1977. $5,320,400 was spent on this project.  Initial plans for the new physical education center connected a new building to the already standing Tawes Gym with an indoor swimming pool. However, this notion of connecting the two gyms was abandoned for constructing the new building on the site of the college’s old baseball field. The new physical education center included two gymnasiums, classrooms, a 25-meter Olympic size pool, handball and squash courts, basketball courts, an indoor track, a wrestling room, dance studios, treatment rooms with whirlpool baths, lounges, weight rooms, and faculty offices. Tawes Gym would then be used for intramural sports and teaching. By request of President Crawford, the new gym was named after Coach Benn Maggs, who had retired the previous year. Maggs worked at Salisbury State College for 43 years, from 1933 to 1976. The coach had been foundational in establishing not only a physical education program for the college, but also a student athletics program. Maggs had also been heavily involved in Salisbury State College’s music and photography programs. According to Crawford, "Every male student who attended Salisbury State College until [1976]'s entering class has known Coach Maggs." (Bradley) Maggs Gym continues to operate as Salisbury University’s primary athletics center today. It also hosts university events in need of mass seating, as the building is home to a 3,000 seat gymnasium.

Maggs Physical Activities Center, also known as Maggs Gym, is home to Salisbury University’s physical education and student athletics programs. It was named after Coach Benn Maggs who was foundational in the establishment of both of these programs. It also functions as Salisbury University’s primary fitness center. The building was constructed in 1977 and contains a main gym, weight room, locker rooms, an Olympic size swimming pool, fitness room, and offices among other amenities. 

Maggs Physical Activities Center

In 1966, state funds were allocated for a science building at Salisbury State College, whose science department had overgrown its space in Holloway Hall. Construction began in October of the same year. The building was intended to be opened in September of 1967, but was delayed by a month due to material shortages from the Vietnam War. It was dedicated by Maryland Governor, and future United States Vice President, Spiro Agnew. In 1969, the science building was named after Dr. Wilbur Devilbiss, the College’s third president from 1955 to 1968.  Devilbiss Hall consists of three stories as well as a basement. The building originally housed twenty-four classrooms, eighteen laboratories, and offices for biological science, physical science, geography, mathematics, and language faculty. The building also had a theatre style lecture hall, language lab, and projection room. With seats for 183, the lecture hall is still routinely rented by student organizations for meetings and events. Devilbiss Hall also has a 2,000 square foot greenhouse on its south side, housing university horticulture projects. The building was instrumental in expanding Salisbury State College’s geography department. It also allowed the college to offer a major in chemistry. Devilbiss Hall began a transition period in 1988 when aviation philanthropist Richard A. Henson endowed Salisbury University’s School of Science and Technology for $2.5 million. The school was renamed after him. Devilbiss Hall briefly took on this label, with the new name installed over the entrance. In 1990, plans were recommended to remodel Devilbiss Hall to further accommodate the Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology. However, plans soon transitioned to building a new science hall all together. In 2000, ground was broken on a new Henson Science Hall, with its dedication taking place in 2002. The Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology was moved to the new building.  Devilbiss Hall is currently home to Salisbury University’s College of Health and Human Services. Its number of classrooms and laboratories have been decreased to seventeen and nine, respectively. However, the building's classrooms are used by professors from a variety of departments, and it continues to house the offices of Mathematics professors.

Devilbiss Hall is home to Salisbury University’s College of Health and Human Services. However, it was originally built with the intent to house Salisbury University’s School of Science and Technology as a whole, which was previously located in a wing of Holloway Hall. The building was named after Dr. Wilbur Devilbiss, the third president of the University. Construction was finished in 1967. 

Devilbiss Hall

In 2011, construction ended on Salisbury University’s Sea Gull Square on the south side of campus, off Route 13. It was Salisbury University’s tenth existing residence hall, excluding the repurposed Holloway Hall. It is the largest of the housing options on the school’s campus and was named after Salisbury University students’ nickname, “the sea gulls.” Sea Gull Square has a total of five stories. The facility takes up 230,000 square feet, and cost $45 million to complete. Its most distinctive features include an illuminated clock tower and a breezeway leading from a courtyard on its east side to the lawn on its west. The building’s ground floor consists of a lobby, classroom, and fitness room. The remaining floors house 185 apartment style single units for student housing. Each apartment houses approximately four people, and features a kitchen, two bathrooms, common area, and laundry facilities.  Sea Gull Square is more than merely a residence hall. It is also home to the Salisbury University Housing and Residence Life offices. Facing Route 13, the building's ground level suites are leased to businesses ranging from restaurants to jewelers. It also features a lawn, volleyball court, and pavilion with grills on its west side. With the duality of student housing and local business, Sea Gull Square hopes to epitomize the close relationship between Salisbury University and the community it calls home.

Plans for a student center to house all student organizations at Salisbury State College surfaced as early as 1981, when the Board of Trustees approved $600,000 for the construction of a new building. In 1983, it was decided the new center would be built in close proximity to the president’s house on the south end of campus. The Maryland Board of Public Works approved construction of the new building in the spring of 1986. The building would cost an estimated $9 million and funding would come mainly from fees collected from students, not state funds. The final cost of the new University Center would total $13 million. The University Center is a brick, 80,000 square foot, two story building. It was built in a style similar to Holloway Hall with a sweeping façade, arched windows, and artificial chimney stacks. The building housed commuter and conversation lounges, The Pub (later Gulls Nest), a bookstore, a post office, counseling and placement offices, offices for the center director and dean of students, a game room, exhibition space, multipurpose meeting and board rooms, an office for the Student Government Association, and the student radio station and newspaper offices. The building was dedicated as the Guerrieri University Center, GUC, in 1991 after Patricia and Alan Guerrieri, who had donated $1 million to the school’s scholarship fund. The Guerrieri University Center still operates at Salisbury University today, but with some changes. In 1997, the GUC was connected to the new dining hall, the Commons, by a hallway known as "the link." The link displays various sculptures as well as national flags from the home countries of SU's international students. Gulls Nest was relocated to the newly constructed Academic Commons in 2016 and renamed Hungry Minds Express, and the GUC snack bar area was converted into a Chick-fil-A. The building's other dining option is a cyber cafe, Cool Beans. In 2017, the University Center was renamed the Guerrieri Student Union. The Guerrieri Student Union continues to host, student organizations and campus events as well as community events in its Wicomico and Nanticoke rooms.

The University Center opened in 1988 and was dedicated as the Guerrieri University Center in 1991 after Alan and Patricia Guerrieri, who donated $1 Million to the school’s scholarship fund. Renamed the Guerrieri Student Union in 2017, GSU serves as a base for student organizations at Salisbury University and hosts campus and community events in its large social rooms. As of 1997, the Guerrieri Student Union is connected by a hallway known as “the link” to the Commons, Salisbury University’s main dining hall.  

Guerrieri Student Union

In 1995, Salisbury State University introduced plans to replace the Powell Dining Hall. The new building would sit adjacent to the Guerrieri University Center, and connect via hallway. However, this space was currently occupied by the President's house. The university purchased a residence across Camden Avenue for the president to replace the original home, which was soon demolished. The cost of the new building would total $22 million, and was paid for through auxiliary funds and student fees. The building opened in 1997. The Commons, a 100,000 square foot building, is two stories, not including its attic and basement. Like the Guerrieri Student Center, it too was built with brick, but also featured columns and a rotunda over the dining area. The building’s first floor included a food court, kitchen, gourmet buffet room, and collection of dining rooms for the students that were also available for rent by the community. One of the dining rooms had a more formal setting and was designated "the Bistro". The building’s second floor has offices for food services, as well as several more rentable dining rooms. The basement is now home to the University Bookstore and campus post office. The Commons often hosts specialty food nights and is open to the community for dining. The bookstore and post office are also open to the public.

The Commons opened in 1997 as a replacement for the Powell Dining Hall. The Commons building is two stories not including the basement and attic. Housed within are the University’s main dining hall, offices, event rooms, the campus post office and University bookstore. The Commons was connected to the Guerrieri Student Center by a hallway known as “the link.” 

The Commons

In the early 1980s, a need for more residential opportunities became apparent at Salisbury State College. By the summer of 1983, SSC had a shortage of 300 living spaces for the student population. The college would attempt to solve this problem by purchasing and building new student dormitories. This included the construction of modular homes on Dogwood Drive to form “Dogwood Village” in 1985 at a cost of $883,000.  Dogwood Village consisted of fifteen single story structures. Fourteen of which were residential buildings. One of the structures was an administration building. Each of the residential buildings was single sex, with ten bedrooms and two bathrooms. In the administration building was a bedroom, a lounge, kitchen, and laundry facility. The complex could house 140 students, as well as one more in the administration building. Dogwood Village was built with the intention of providing a twenty four-hour quiet area for students that desired it. It also granted extra privacy with single rooms. However, some students were initially skeptical of the new housing option. Dogwood Village was located relatively farther from Powell Dining Hall and other academic buildings than the other dormitories. At the time, it was separated from the rest of campus by a fence and walkway. The buildings also did not initially have hall phones or air conditioning. Students were permitted to bring their own air conditioner, but were charged $30 extra per month should they choose to do so. Despite these early misgivings, Dogwood Village eventually became one of the most popular housing units at Salisbury State College. Dogwood Village continues to operate as a housing option for Salisbury University. It is primarily intended for sophomore students, but has also been extended as an option for freshmen. Each room now includes an air conditioner, as well as cable TV capabilities and internet.

Dogwood Village is one of Salisbury University's on-campus residential options. It consists of fifteen single-story modular homes providing student residences and a lounge. It was constructed with the intention of providing a twenty-four hour quiet residence that allowed each student their own room. Dogwood Village was built and opened in 1985. 

Dogwood Village

The construction of high rise dormitories began in the early 1970s. Choptank Hall was completed in 1972, while Chester Hall opened two years later. The school then took a hiatus from the construction of this style of dormitory. This period would last until 1990, when $4,680,000 was set aside for the building of a third and final high rise residence hall, Severn Hall. Construction occurred under the presidency of Dr. Thomas Bellavance.  Severn Hall was the tenth residence hall built on Salisbury State University’s campus. Like the other two high rise dorms, the building consisted of six stories. It had a slightly higher capacity than its other two high rise counterparts, housing 236 students. Also like the other two high rises, it was coeducational. Each of the floors was broken into clusters. Each cluster consisted of five bedrooms, housing ten students of a single gender. Two clusters were designated for junior and senior men, with the other two for junior and senior women. Each cluster had its own bathroom.  Severn Hall was named after the Severn River on the Western Shore of Maryland. This was a departure from the names of the other dormitories. While all had been named after bodies of water in the state, all had been associated with the Eastern Shore instead of the West. The building has undergone two partial renovations of its first floor. The first took place in 2007, and the second in 2013. Severn Hall continues to operate as a residence hall of Salisbury University. It is coeducational, and houses 236 freshmen. Rooms are still in a cluster style, with roommates sharing a bathroom with other students in their ten person cluster. Double and triple rooms are available. It also has a lounge, kitchen, and laundry facilities.

Severn Hall is one of Salisbury University’s dormitories. It was opened in 1990 under the presidency of Dr. Thomas Bellavance, and was the tenth residence hall built on campus. The building was named after the Severn River and is the school’s third high rise dormitory. With the ability to house a total of 236 students, Severn Hall contains cluster dorms with a shared bathroom and double and triple rooms for up to ten students in each cluster.

Severn Hall

Under the presidency of Dr. Norman Crawford, the early 1970s saw the construction of “high rise” style dormitories at Salisbury State College. Choptank Hall was the first of these dormitories and was completed in 1972. Construction of the second high rise residence hall, Chester Hall, began in May of the same year. The building was originally intended to open in the fall of 1973, but delays in the construction pushed the opening to, first, the spring of 1974, and eventually the fall of that year. While construction continued, students who were guaranteed housing in Chester Hall were placed with families living in the surrounding neighborhoods as well as at the local hospital. Incoming students also had the option to take classes at Frostburg State University and transfer to Salisbury State College at no loss of credit. With a total of six stories and housing 220 students, Chester Hall was one of the largest residence halls on campus at the time, the other being Choptank Hall. It too departed from the Georgian architectural style of the other residence halls. Each residential floor housed bedrooms sleeping forty students, a lounge, and bathrooms. The building also featured a main lounge on the first floor, an elevator, and air conditioning. Chester Hall was also the second of the school’s coeducational dorms. Each of the floors was broken into clusters. Each cluster consisted of five bedrooms, housing ten students of a single gender. Two clusters were designated for junior and senior men, with the other two for junior and senior women. Each cluster had its own bathroom.  Like all of the dormitories at Salisbury State College, Chester Hall was named after a waterway on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Chester River. This was voted upon by the student body in a poll in the school’s newspaper, the S.S.C Informer. The building was repainted in 1984, a key renovation year for dormitories at Salisbury State College. Its second renovation occured in 2012.  Chester Hall continues to operate as a residence hall of Salisbury University. It is coeducational, and houses 220 freshmen. Rooms are still in a cluster style, with roommates sharing a bathroom with other students in their ten person cluster. Double and triple rooms are available. It also has a lounge, kitchen, classroom, and laundry facilities.

Chester Hall is one of Salisbury University’s dormitories. It opened in 1974 under the presidency of Dr. Norman Crawford, and was the sixth residence hall built on campus. Named after the Chester River, it was the school’s second coeducational dorm and meant to be used by upper level students. With the ability to house a total of 220 students, Severn Hall contains cluster dorms with a shared bathroom and bedrooms for up to ten students in each cluster.

Chester Hall

Plans for a new dormitory for Salisbury State College were announced by President Dr. W. Douglas Smith in 1968 after the completion of Nanticoke Hall. The new dormitory would be five stories and house 200 students. Scheduled to open in the fall of 1970, construction was not completed until the fall of 1972. This would be under the presidency of Dr. Norman Crawford. Close to $1.2 Million was spent on the new residence hall. Totaling six stories rather than five, and housing 220 students, Choptank Hall became the largest residence hall on campus at the time. It departed from the Georgian architectural style of the other residence halls. The building was the first of the “high rise” dormitories, and was followed in style by Chester Hall in 1974 and Severn Hall in 1990. Each residential floor housed bedrooms sleeping forty students, a lounge, and bathrooms. The building also featured a main lounge on the first floor, an elevator, and air conditioning.  Choptank Hall was also the first of the school’s coeducational dorms, and mainly housed upperclassmen. Each of the floors were broken into clusters. Each cluster consisted of ten students of a single gender. Two clusters would be designated for junior and senior men, with the other two for junior and senior women. Each cluster had its own bathroom. New students over the age of 21 were also permitted to live in Choptank Hall. Like all of the dormitories at Salisbury State College, Choptank Hall was named after a waterway on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Choptank River. This was voted upon by the student body in a poll in the school’s newspaper, the S.S.C Informer. Renovations followed soon after the building’s opening. In 1973, it was announced some of the lounges on the residential floors would be converted into living spaces to accommodate the growing number of students at Salisbury State College. Its next renovation would be in 2011.  Choptank Hall continues to operate as a residence hall of Salisbury University. It remains coeducational, and houses 220 freshmen. Rooms are still in a cluster style, with roommates sharing a bathroom with other students in their ten person cluster. Double and triple rooms are available. It also has a lounge, classroom, kitchen, and laundry facilities.

Choptank Hall is one of Salisbury University’s dormitories. It was opened in 1972 as the fifth residence hall built on campus. The building was named after the Nanticoke River. It was the school’s first coeducational dorm.  With the ability to house a total of 220 students, Choptank Hall contains cluster dorms with a shared bathroom and bedrooms for up to ten students in each cluster.

Choptank Hall

In 1958, College President Dr. Wilbur Devilbiss announced plans to increase the number of buildings at Maryland State Teachers College. This included the construction of two additional dormitories. The first, later named Manokin Hall, was a women's dorm and was completed in 1964. The second dormitory was for male students. Funding came piecemeal in 1963 with an initial $390,000 appropriated for the new men's dormitory, and an extra $100,000 would come later. It would be the last dormitory at the school built with state finances. Because of this, students at Maryland State Teachers College would see a rise in tuition. President Devilbiss intended the residence hall to open in time for the start of the 1966-1967 academic year. However, construction of the new dormitory did not begin until spring of 1966. Male students who were promised on-campus housing in the new building were placed in nearby private homes. The new dorm finally opened in 1967, but had already been named Pocomoke Hall, after the Pocomoke River, at a ceremony in 1966 in which all of Salisbury State College's buildings were named. The other two dormitories were also named after waterways on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and this trend would continue for future residence halls. Following the architectural style of Wicomico and Manokin Halls, Pocomoke Hall was a brick structure of three stories. It could house 106 male students. The building was located south of Holloway Hall and the other two dormitories. A fourth residence hall was intended to be added to form a quadrangular formation of the dormitories. In 1971, it was announced that Pocomoke Hall would then shift to a freshman women’s dormitory. Since its construction, the building has seen two renovations. The first renovated the lounge areas in 1984. The entire building was renovated again in 2010. Pocomoke Hall continues to operate as a residence hall of Salisbury University. It is now coeducational, and houses seventy-seven freshmen. Rooms are in a suite style, with two roommates sharing a linked bathroom with another pair of students. In addition to student rooms, there are two lounges, a kitchen, and laundry facilities. This dormitory serves as one of the two primary residence halls for freshmen in Salisbury University’s Honors College.

Pocomoke Hall is one of Salisbury University’s dormitories. It was constructed and opened in 1966-1967 to function as an additional dormitory for the school’s male students. It was named in 1966 after the Pocomoke River. It is now a coeducational dorm, and a residence hall for freshmen in the Salisbury University Honors College. 

Pocomoke Hall

Planning for Nanticoke Hall began in 1968, a time of transition for Salisbury State College. Longtime president Dr. Wilbur Devilbiss was due to retire at the conclusion of the 1967-1968 academic year. Dr. W. Douglas Smith would replace him. Construction of the new dormitory began in the spring of 1968 under Devilbiss, and concluded in the fall after the 1968-1969 academic year had already begun under Smith. Nanticoke Hall was the first dormitory at Salisbury State College built without state finances. The college had raised its tuition since 1966 in order to fund the construction of new residence halls.  Nanticoke Hall was located in a quadrangular formation with Manokin, Wicomico, and Pocomoke Halls. While the three of them were built nearly identical in layout, Nanticoke differed. While also being Georgian in architectural style, the dormitory was L-shaped and could house a capacity of 150 students. It also had the distinction of offering triple and single rooms, a novelty at the time. The building also featured a reception room, private parlors, a basement lounge, kitchen, typing room, piano practice room, and several study areas. Nanticoke Hall was named after the Nanticoke River. All of the residence halls on the campus are named after waterways on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It would be the fourth dormitory building constructed. In 1987, the building was packed with students due to an increased demand for housing. Double rooms were converted into triples, and rooms in the lounge and basement not intended for student residence were converted into living spaces. This overcrowding was remedied with the construction of Severn Hall in 1990, but the university would continue to face a shortage of on-campus housing. More recently, Nanticoke Hall underwent a renovation in 2011, and no longer offers triple rooms.   Nanticoke Hall continues to operate as a residence hall of Salisbury University. It is now coeducational, and houses 153 freshmen. Rooms are in a suite style, with two roommates sharing a linked bathroom with another pair of students. Single rooms are also available. It also houses a lounge, kitchen, and laundry facilities.

Nanticoke Hall is one of Salisbury University’s dormitories. It was constructed and opened in 1968 to function as an additional dormitory for the school’s female students. It was named after the Nanticoke River. It was built in a similar style to the other dorms that make up "the quad," but was built in the shape of an "L" rather than a straight building. It is now a coeducational dorm and provides living space for 153 incoming freshmen. 

Nanticoke Hall

Maryland State Teachers College’s main building, later renamed Holloway Hall, housed dormitories for its female students on its second and third floors. A separate dormitory building for male students opened in 1951. However, increasing enrollment numbers demanded new housing options. In 1958, STC’s President, Dr. Wilbur Devilbiss, announced plans to increase the number of buildings on campus, including the addition of a women’s dormitory. Four years later, in 1962, money was appropriated by the state legislature for the construction of a women’s dormitory at the school. Construction on Manokin Hall ended in 1964. The building was a brick structure of three stories located south of the main building and adjacent to the men's dorm. Ninety-two women moved into the new dormitory in September of the same year of its completion. Holloway Hall continued to serve as a residential option for female students at the school. Manokin Hall was the sixth building constructed as a part of the school’s campus, and the fourth oldest of Salisbury University’s currently operating buildings. Manokin Hall was not officially named until a dedication ceremony in 1966 that named all of the campus buildings. Both residence halls were named after local waterways, beginning a naming tradition for dormitories built in the future. The women’s dorm was named after the Manokin River in nearby Somerset County. The hall would later be designated as a non-smoking dormitory. It also underwent two renovations. The lounge areas were renovated in 1984. The entire building was renovated again in 2010.  Manokin Hall continues to operate as a residence hall of Salisbury University. It is now coeducational, and houses seventy-seven freshmen. Rooms are in a suite style, with two roommates sharing a linked bathroom with another pair of students. In addition to student rooms, there are two lounges, a kitchen, and laundry facilities. This dormitory serves as one of the two primary residence halls for freshmen in Salisbury University’s Honors College.

Manokin Hall is one of Salisbury University’s dormitories. It was constructed and opened in 1964 to function as an additional dormitory for the school’s female students. It was named in 1966 after the Manokin River. It is now a coeducational dorm, and the primary residence hall for freshmen in the Salisbury University Honors College. 

Manokin Hall

In 1939, the need for a male dormitory became evident at Maryland State Teachers College. Over 100 men were enrolled at the college, but the school’s main building only provided lodging to female students. Sixty of the male students were housed in private homes in close proximity to the school. Temporary male lodging in the main building’s south wing became available in January of 1948. Sixty male students were housed in large rooms, some holding six men each. However, many still were housed in private homes, which cost the college $5,000 a year in agreements with the homeowners. In 1949, a six year plan to expand the school was announced and $250,000 was allocated to construct a male dormitory.  Ground broke for the new dormitory on March 31, 1950. The cornerstone was laid in a ceremony on November 16th celebrating the school’s 25th year, and the dorm was projected to open in February of 1951. However, opening day was delayed to October and then eventually November. Governor Theodore McKeldin attended the opening ceremony for the building, and delivered remarks. The dormitory was not officially named Wicomico Hall until 1966 at a ceremony in which all of Salisbury State College’s buildings were named. Wicomico Hall is a brick structure of three stories. Located to the south of the main building now called Holloway Hall, it was intended to have fifty rooms and house 100 men. It has been renovated twice since its construction in the 1950s. Its first renovation took place in 1984 with a focus on adding bathrooms. A renovation of the entire building took place in 2011.  Wicomico Hall continues to operate as a residence hall for Salisbury University. However, it is now co-ed, and houses seventy-eight students. Rooms are in a suite style, with two roommates sharing a linked bathroom with another pair of students. It also houses two lounges, a kitchen, and laundry facilities.

Wicomico Hall is a dormitory at Salisbury University. It was built from 1949 to 1950 to house male students at Maryland State Teachers College. It was the second building built on campus and was named in 1966 after the Wicomico River. It is now a coeducational dorm and houses seventy-eight incoming freshmen.

Wicomico Hall 

Maryland State Teachers College’s (STC) library was originally housed in the north wing of its main building, Holloway Hall. However, its capacity was eventually surpassed by the school’s growing collections. Plans for the construction of a new library building surfaced in 1949 under STC's third president, Dr. Jefferson D. Blackwell. The following year, the college approved a six year building program which included $363,000 set aside for a new library building. As planned, construction of the new library began in 1956 under STC's fourth president, Dr. Wilbur Devilbiss. It concluded in September of 1957, with the building’s opening and dedication the following month. The cost totaled $398,750. Grace Chaires served as the facility’s first librarian.The new library building was located in between the male dormitory (Wicomico Hall) and the main building. It consisted of two stories and a basement, and was built in a brick Maryland Colonial style. Its first floor housed two reading rooms, two rows of stacks, a reference room, circulation desk, staff workroom, and librarian’s office. The second floor also housed a pair of reading rooms and stack rows, as well as a curriculum lab, a Maryland room, a conference and audio-visual room, an Art and Treasure Room for exhibits, a music room, a staff room, a typing room, and storage space. The library was not officially named until ten years after its construction. In 1966, Salisbury State College had all of its academic buildings named after important figures from the school’s history. The library was named after President Blackwell. Blackwell had been the school’s president from 1935 to 1955, and was instrumental in the planning and establishment of the library building.In 1973, Salisbury State College underwent a $1.7 million initiative to renovate and expand its library under SSC president Dr. Norman Crawford. This was with the intention to triple the library’s square footage and accommodate a stack capacity of 165,000 volumes. While it was hoped to have the library up and running for the start of the 1974-1975 academic year, construction was completed in October of 1974. The renovated Blackwell Library had an official open house on September 14, 1975. Keith Vail, the university’s first male librarian, was made Associate Director of the new library. He commented on a shift in the library’s purpose after its renovation, being from teacher training to academic research. The renovation absorbed Salisbury State College’s original Blackwell Library as a subsection, making up the new building’s southeast corner, featuring the library’s reference section and Maryland Room. The new library included a gallery on the second floor. It also included a greater number of study cubicles and rooms, a listening room, and a new emergency alarm system. The new building would achieve the goal of accommodating the 165,000 volumes and expand the square footage of Salisbury State College’s library from 22,000 to 66,000 square feet.Blackwell Library would remain Salisbury University’s library building for over 40 years after its renovation. In 2016, Blackwell Library was renamed Blackwell Hall and the building’s tenure as the library ended. The recently built Guerrieri Academic Commons would now house the school’s collections. Blackwell Hall was re-purposed as a center for academic advising and counseling for Salisbury University students.

Named in honor of Dr. Jefferson D. Blackwell, president of Maryland State Teachers College president 1935 to 1955, this campus building is most notable for housing the university’s library from 1957 to 2016. The building underwent major renovations in the 1970s, with its original building incorporated as a subsection of a new larger structure. Following the opening of the University's current library, Guerrieri Academic Commons, it became the home of Salisbury University's Academic Advising Center and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Another major renovation to the building began in the summer of 2024.

Salisbury University Walking Tour

Sea Gull Square

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information