The Maltby Years (1893-1920)
Dr. Albert Elias Maltby was the second principal of the Slippery Rock Normal School for 26 years from 1890 to 1916. Not only was he principal, but he taught classes and was a prolific writer. During his tenure, Dr. Maltby was instrumental in the growth of the normal school campus.
This wave of development saw the three original wooden buildings replaced with six buildings of brick and stone construction. All of the construction projects of Dr. Maltby’s tenure were handled by the architect Mr. Sidney Winfield Foulk of New Castle, Pennsylvania.
New Buildings Under Maltby:
- Old Main
- Renovated North Hall
- South Hall
- Chapel
- West Hall (now Carruth Rizza Hall)
- West Gym (now Stoner West)
Old Main (1893)
Old Main is the oldest remaining building on campus. This facility is constructed of Ohio sandstone and red brick. Mr. Sidney Winfield Foulk was the architect hired to construct all the buildings in this era. In the beginning, the administrative offices and classrooms were on the first floor. A library was on the second floor and the gym was on the third floor. Today this facility houses the offices of the president, the vice presidents, and other administrative services.
Renovated North Hall (1895)
Under Dr. Maltby’s direction, North Hall, a women’s dormitory, was enlarged in 1895 and remodeled into the shape of an “E” with Norman, Gothic, and Turkish towers added to the structure. There were 148 rooms, which could house 300 students.
South Hall (1896)
On May 13, 1895, a fire broke out in South Hall destroying the building. Dr. Maltby directed the construction of a new South Hall, which was available as a men’s dormitory the following year. This building was “U-shaped” and constructed of brick with three stories and a bell tower. The bell was rung to signal meal times and other campus activities. In 1970, this building was considered too old to renovate and was torn down.
Chapel (1897)
After the original chapel was destroyed by fire in 1896, a new stone chapel of Norman-French architecture was built. This facility had stained-glass windows, an auditorium with seating for 1,000, a full stage, dressing and storage rooms and an organ. It quickly replaced Old Main as the center of student activity. This building was used by both the Bryant Society and the Philomathian Society for their meetings and activities. In 1955, the building was closed because of structural weaknesses. After several attempts to raise funds for renovation, the building was torn down in 1971. Visitors can see some of the original windows rescued from the Chapel in the Pennsylvania Room of North Hall.
West Hall (now Carruth Rizza Hall) (1902)
In 1900, a new two-story, buff brick building, trimmed in sandstone, was constructed. The New Model School, as it was known then, was used by both the elementary training school and the normal school science department. The building was restored in 2003 and renamed Drs. Paul and Carolyn Carruth Rizza Hall, dedicated to the Rizzas who were professors on campus for over 20 years and longtime benefactors of the University.