Kea-Guffin Residence Hall

Kea-Guffin Residence Hall are two halves of a single whole. Guffin is the northern section and is the older of the two, originally built in 1940 as the estate of Virginia B. Taggart and purchased by the campus in 1952. Kea is one of the older residence halls on campus, built from 1968-1969, and is located in the "south wing" of the overall building. Kea-Guffin remains a central hub for student activity for Eastern University, acting as the home for a commuter student lounge, a student conference room, a first-year experience room, and offices for student groups such as Inklings (literary magazine), The Waltonian (newspaper), and Student Government Association.

Kea Residence Hall is one of the older residence halls on campus, built from 1968-1969. The building was named in honor of Paul H. and Grace F. Kea, dedicated on May 18, 1969. Mrs. Kea specifically was a member of Seminary President from 1972-73 Henry R. Osgood's church in Hyattsville, MD and was given a certificate at the 40^th anniversary dinner at Eastern Baptist Seminary (now Palmer Seminary).

One of the most historically significant aspects of Kea Hall is its status as the host building for the college's radio station. Discussions for the radio station started by the Communications Majors in March of 1977, based off of the previous EBTS radio station, but the college station did not officially form until Fall 1985, thanks to a donation from the Student Government Association. Staff was gathered throughout the fall and the station was opened by Spring 1986 with the name WGWW, or "Whole Gospel for the Whole World" – though the name was quickly changed to WECR by September 1986. The station's original location was in the Kea smoking lounge kitchen, playing 80% music and 20% news, campus events, devotions and other features; thanks to its location, the station could not transmit much farther than campus itself. WECR was eventually shut down in September 2000, though it had a brief resurgence in 2010.

Kea Hall is 26,222 total square feet, with three levels, 60 rooms, and 120 beds. There are several apartments within Kea, including one for the Resident Director, as well as a basement and main floor lounge. This dormitory is also split between a North and South wing, connecting to Guffin Hall at the center of the building.

Guffin Residence Hall is one of the two original dorm halls on campus. Built in 1940, it was originally the estate of Virginia B. Taggart and stretched eight acres over what is currently the athletic fields. The land was purchased for campus in April 1952, and the dorm hall was the men's only hall for a year before Hainer Hall was built in 1953, after which it became the dorm for women while Doane Hall was being expanded. The hall's original name was Eagle Hall, later renamed Guffin Hall on March 4, 1965 in honor of Gilbert L. Guffin '35, the fourth president of Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer Seminary) and first president of Eastern Baptist College (now Eastern University).

Guffin Hall is 24,475 total square feet, with three levels, 39 rooms, and 80 beds. An addition was added in 1963-64; named "New Guffin," this section attached Guffin Hall to Kea Hall, prompting the entire structure to become known as Kea-Guffin Hall to the student body. The foyer and porch from the original Taggart home remains, though much of it is connected to the Breezeway, a late-night eatery which bridges Guffin and Kea that was added in 1996, expanded in 2008, and renovated in 2017.

In fact, a great deal of student activity is centered out of Guffin Hall. The KAGE (pronounced "cage") opened in 2009 out of the Guffin apartment complex and promotes weekly student activities thanks to the Student Development Office. More recently, an additional Student Life Space opened in Guffin Ground Level on March 6, 2024, including a commuter student lounge, a student conference room, a first-year experience room, and offices for student groups such as Inklings (literary magazine), The Waltonian (newspaper), and Student Government Association.

"Kea Hall." Folder in Eastern University Archives. Located at Warner Memorial Library, Eastern University, St. Davids, PA, 19087.

"Guffin Hall." Folder in Eastern University Archives. Located at Warner Memorial Library, Eastern University, St. Davids, PA, 19087.