Grove City College’s central women’s residence hall, known on campus as MAP, consists of three sections built between 1937 and 1961 – MAP South, MAP West, and MAP North – surrounding a central courtyard.
MAP South was the first women’s hall on upper campus. It faces the College’s central Quad, directly across from Isaac C. Ketler Hall, a men’s dormitory. That is by design. The Olmsted Brothers' plans for campus included keeping the sexes separated, with women on one side of campus and men on the other.
Mary Anderson Pew was the wife and mother, respectively, of College patrons Joseph N. Pew and J. Howard Pew. The Pew matriarch was known for her support of both women and education. The building was designed in the style and character of the Pew Estate Glenmede located in Bryn Mawr, Pa. MORE>>
Just to the east of MAP stand two other women’s dorms, Helen Harker Hall and Mary Ethel Pew Hall, the latter named for Mary Anderson Pew’s daughter.
The MAP complex includes one of the College’s two dining halls – where male students once worked as waiters for their female peers – and formal and private dining rooms. MAP South’s lobby and lounges harken back to an earlier era, with rich wood paneled walls, intricately tiled floors, vintage furniture, and the dramatic “Princess Staircase” that generations of Grover women have descended.
While the College never discriminated against women, its rules reflected a Victorian sensibility long into the 20th century. Women were subject to earlier curfews than men and other prohibitions that would rankle today’s students as much as they did their foremothers.
In spite of those restrictions, women persevered, driving change and having an immense impact on student life. Sororities and female-centric clubs have been pillars of the campus community for more than century and many of the College’s top student leaders and most accomplished alumni are women.
Life and culture have naturally changed in MAP and the other women’s halls over time, but the shared experience of living in community on campus creates a bond among Grover women.