Barbelin Hall
Encyclopedia
Barbelin Hall is the most enduring and memorable building on the campus of Saint Joseph's University
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The structure was completed in 1927 and was the first building on the current City Avenue campus known as Hawk Hill. The building is known for its 165 foot tower which has become a symbol of the University. It is often used as a secondary logo for SJU. For some time, the tower was the highest point from sea level in Philadelphia.
The building is named for Felix-Joseph Barbelin
who served two separate terms as president of what was then known as Saint Joseph's College. Constructed of Wissahickon schist (a local stone) and limestone, the facade features gargoyles, heads of early presidents of the college, and an array of other limestone carvings. The building was first used for all types of classes and as a residence hall. It is now exclusively used for the College of Arts & Sciences at Saint Joseph's. What is known as Barbelin Quad is located in the middle of the building. The tower overlooks the entire campus including Finnesey Field
and the Haub School of Business in Mandeville Hall.
A number of gargoyles can be seen on the building while on Barbelin Quad. Statues and grotesques of heads of former presidents of Saint Joseph's are also located on the edges of the building. In front of Barbelin, overlooking City Avenue, is a statue of Saint Joseph
.
Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. The structure was completed in 1927 and was the first building on the current City Avenue campus known as Hawk Hill. The building is known for its 165 foot tower which has become a symbol of the University. It is often used as a secondary logo for SJU. For some time, the tower was the highest point from sea level in Philadelphia.
The building is named for Felix-Joseph Barbelin
Felix-Joseph Barbelin
Felix-Joseph Barbelin was a nineteenth century Jesuit influential in the development of the Catholic community in Philadelphia....
who served two separate terms as president of what was then known as Saint Joseph's College. Constructed of Wissahickon schist (a local stone) and limestone, the facade features gargoyles, heads of early presidents of the college, and an array of other limestone carvings. The building was first used for all types of classes and as a residence hall. It is now exclusively used for the College of Arts & Sciences at Saint Joseph's. What is known as Barbelin Quad is located in the middle of the building. The tower overlooks the entire campus including Finnesey Field
Finnesey Field
Finnesey Field is a multi-use sports facility on the Saint Joseph's University campus which opened in 1929 and was originally planned to be the centerpiece to a 70,000 seat football stadium in the natural bowl of the campus....
and the Haub School of Business in Mandeville Hall.
A number of gargoyles can be seen on the building while on Barbelin Quad. Statues and grotesques of heads of former presidents of Saint Joseph's are also located on the edges of the building. In front of Barbelin, overlooking City Avenue, is a statue of Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
.