Villanova University - Campus - Main Campus

Main Campus

The most prominent feature of the Villanova campus is St. Thomas of Villanova Church, whose dual spires are Villanova's tallest structure. The cornerstone for the church was laid in 1883, with construction continuing until 1887. The church underwent major renovations in 1943 and 1992. It is built in Gothic Revival style . The church lies at the head of the path crossing Lancaster Avenue into the parking lots and toward South Campus. As such, it is a popular meeting place for students, and hosts three student-oriented masses on Sunday nights at 6:00 pm, 8:00 pm, and 10:00 pm. The church is also home to St. Thomas of Villanova Parish, whose Masses take place Sunday morning. The stained-glass windows of the church depict the life of St. Augustine of Hippo.

Situated behind the Church is Mendel Field, around which sit six major campus buildings: Mendel Hall, Tolentine Hall, White Hall, Falvey Hall, John Barry Hall, and the Chemical Engineering Building. Mendel Hall, named for pioneering geneticist and Augustinian monk Gregor Mendel, holds science labs, lecture halls, and other facilities. Mendel Hall's two large buildings are connected underground and by a second-floor indoor bridge that forms the gateway between West and Main Campus. In 1998, the college commissioned a 7-foot (2.1 m) bronze sculpture of Mendel by Philadelphia sculptor James Peniston, and installed it outside the hall's entrance. Tolentine Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus, houses classrooms, academic offices such as the Registrar's Office and the Office of the President, and computer labs, and is connected to Villanova's monastery, St. Thomas Hall. White Hall, consisting mainly of classrooms and laboratories, is directly connected to the Chemical Engineering Building, which was built in 1947. "Old Falvey" is the annex of the Falvey Memorial Library, named for Rev. Daniel Falvey who served as librarian from 1940 until his death in 1962. It is home to some classrooms in the Art History and Education departments as well as some offices, along with The Math Center, The Writing Center, and The Augustinian Heritage Institute, and the Matthew J. Ryan Center. John Barry Hall, named for naval officer Commodore John Barry, houses the Navy ROTC Program. To the West of the Church, the Center for Engineering Education and Research (CEER), which opened in 1998, holds engineering labs, engineering classrooms, an engineering computer lab, and an auditorium hall for projections and slideshows.

Slightly east of Mendel Field sits The Grotto, a landscaped haven between Falvey Library and two residence halls: Alumni Hall, home to the Service Learning Community; and Corr Hall, the location of the Center for Peace and Justice Studies. Often home to outdoor masses and other large gatherings, the Grotto is sometimes perfect for quiet contemplation. The grotto includes a statue depicting Our Lady of Good Counsel and plaques dedicated to the veterans of World War II and the Vietnam War. Across from Alumni Hall and The Grotto are St. Rita's Hall and Austin Hall. In addition to being two residence halls, these two buildings also house the Campus Ministry Office and University Admissions Office, respectively. Falvey Library, the campus's main research library, houses over 1,000,000 books, thousands of periodicals, television production studios, and quiet places for solitary or group study. Behind Falvey Library is the Saint Augustine Center for Liberal Arts, commonly called "SAC", which is home to many departments in the College of Liberal Arts, numerous offices, several seminar-type classrooms, and is home to the Advising and Professional Development Program.

East of Corr Hall sits Kennedy Hall, which houses the University Shop, the campus bookstore. Across a small courtyard is Dougherty Hall, the campus's main dining hall, referred to as "The Pit" because of its underground location, one of three all-you-can-eat facilities on campus. Dougherty also houses several smaller eateries and many Student Activity Offices. Next to Kennedy is Connelly Center with its radically different architecture resembling an alpine ski lodge, containing: the Belle Aire Terrace, which serves a variety of food; several meeting rooms; areas for group study; the Commuter Student Lounge on the upper level; another lounge on the lower level, the campus cinema (movie theater); a large conference room; a smoothie shop; and Holy Grounds, the name of Villanova's coffee shop.

Between the dining halls of Dougherty and the meeting halls of Connelly is "The Oreo". A large black-and-white sculpture by Jay Dugan, some of the major campus celebrations have occurred in its circular shadow – including celebratory vandalism in the wake of the 1985 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. Sitting just west of The Quad, The Awakening (as it is officially known) has served as a meeting place in the heart of the campus for generations of Villanovans.

Still further east, there is "The Quad" where there lies a square formation between two dormitories, Sheehan Hall and Sullivan Hall. Bartley Hall, home to the Villanova School of Business is the last building before Ithan Avenue, which is where main campus ends. Bartley is adjacent to another entrance to Main Campus, at the intersection of Lancaster Avenue and Ithan Avenue. Behind Bartley Hall are two new buildings: The Health Services Building, home to the Counseling and Medical Centers; and Driscoll Hall, home to the College of Nursing.