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Mount Vernon Seminary and College Chapel and religious life collection

 Collection
Identifier: MVC0048-RG

Scope and Contents

This collection contains chapel artifacts, correspondence, legal documents, invoices, newspaper clippings, photographs, notes, and architectural plans. The materials date from 1931-80. It includes the chapel artifacts from the Mount Vernon Seminary and College and the records of the construction of the Florence Hollis Hand Chapel by Hartman-Cox Architects from 1967-71. Two of the main correspondents are Peter Pelham, President of Mount Vernon College from 1962-1976, and Warren Cox, a partner from the Hartman-Cox Architects firm hired by Mount Vernon College to build the Chapel.

This collection is from Mount Vernon College, which George Washington University acquired in 1999.

Dates

  • 1931-1980
  • Majority of material found within 1963 - 1971

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the patron's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.

Biographical / Historical

Mount Vernon Seminary and College was an all-women's high school and junior college founded in 1875 by Elizabeth J. Somers. In 1966, the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation in LaGrange, Georgia made a sizeable donation to the Mount Vernon College stipulating its use for the construction of a college chapel. The Mount Vernon College had not had a chapel on campus since 1943, when the United States Navy took over their Nebraska Ave. campus property. Mount Vernon hired George Hartman and Warren Cox of Hartman-Cox Architects to build the chapel in 1967, with it being completed in 1971. Mrs. Callaway (née, Alice Hand), a Mount Vernon Seminary student from 1926-1930, named the chapel after her mother, Florence Hollis Hand. The chapel was dedicated in early November 1970. The Chapel also received the American Institute of Architects Honor Award in the 1971 Community and Junior College Design Awards Program. By the time the Florence Hollis Hand Chapel was completed, Mount Vernon College had graduated its last Seminary class (1969) and continued solely as a Junior College. Mount Vernon College later became an accredited four-year college in 1976. The George Washington University initially affiliated with Mount Vernon College, and ultimately acquired the college's property and legacy in 1999. The Hand Chapel currently resides on the Mount Vernon Campus of George Washington University, serving the university as a multifunctional event space.

Extent

13 Linear Feet (1 large box, 2 record center boxes, 2 flat boxes, and 1 document box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Mount Vernon Seminary and College was an all-women's high school and junior college founded in 1875 by Elizabeth J. Somers. The George Washington University initially affiliated with Mount Vernon College, and ultimately acquired the college's property and legacy in 1999. This collection contains the records of the Mount Vernon College Chapel. The artifacts and records date from 1931 to 1980, with the bulk of the material dating between 1963 and 1971.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into two series: Artifacts and Correspondence and other materials.

Physical Location

Materials may be stored off-site, and may require additional retrieval time. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Collection acquired by GWU upon merger with Mount Vernon College. Collection transferred to Foggy Bottom campus.

Separated Materials

A bust of a woman and a folder titled "New Dormitory" were separated from this collection. The bust is now part of MVC0029, the Memorabilia Collection.

Title
Guide to the Mount Vernon Seminary and College Chapel and religious life collection, 1931-1980
Status
Completed
Author
Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University
Date
2010
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University Repository

Contact:
2130 H Street NW
Washington 20052 United States of America