Dogwood Village

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.

Bradley, Sylvia. Salisbury: From Normal School to University 1925 - 2001 . Salisbury, Maryland. Salisbury University Press, 2002.

Palick, Ted. “Modulars Score Both Good and Bad Points.” The Flyer September 25th 1985.

Salisbury University, (2011, August 22), Record floor plan Dogwood Village, (A-1.1), [Architectural drawing]. Retrieved from https://www.salisbury.edu/administration/student-affairs/housing-and-residence-life/_files/DV%20Admin%20Bldg.pdf

Salisbury University. Dogwood Village. Salisbury University. Accessed May 20th 2020. https://www.salisbury.edu/administration/student-affairs/housing-and-residence-life/residence-halls/dogwood.aspx.