By Luke Griffith, Staff Writer
The Campus Post Office
One of the most distinctive features in the university’s history was its United States Post Office on campus. The post office was located in Nazareth Hall on the terrace level. Because the post office was on campus, Immaculata had its zip code, 19345. The post office was run by a sister who served as the postmaster for several years.
On December 31st, 2014, the post office officially closed after Immaculata requested its termination. The university believed that the post office was no longer necessary. Even though the service has disappeared, you can still see parts of it today. The PO boxes remain near the commuter lockers, and a section of drywall near the Immaculatan Newspaper room marks where the service window once stood.
The United States Post Office at Immaculata University in the 1960s. Photo courtesy of Immaculata University/Gabriele Library
The Original Library
The university’s original library was located in a much different space than many students recognize today. It began in the boardroom in Villa Maria Hall before the university eventually moved it into Lourdes Hall. The area that is now the Great Hall once served as a study and reading space, while the book stacks were located in the room with the large windows above Campus Ministry.
According to Dr. Jeffery Rollison, the stacks were arranged on multiple levels, with steps leading to different sections, creating what he described as a ‘very creepy’ atmosphere.
Today, that same area has been converted into storage, with a loft above it known as the Lourdes Loft. The space now holds old blueprints, architectural drawings, and other archival materials. In addition to that, it also once served as the location of the university’s IT department before it was moved to Good Council.
The bookshelves in the old library behind the present-day Great Hall. Photo courtesy of Immaculata University/Gabriele Library.
The Mac Shack
The campus also featured a grill known as the Mac Shack, which sat on the terrace level of Good Counsel. The Mac Shack functioned similarly to today’s Grill on the Hill at the Student Center. Similar to the current grille on campus, it offered burgers, hot dogs, and fries to students. At the time, the space was one large open room, with the bookstore now occupying the seating. The original counter for the Mac Shack was located on the right side of the hallway along the wall below the couch.
Unfortunately, the Mac Shack closed in the mid-1990s when the bookstore was relocated. Even though the Mac Shack is gone, its original sign and name remain, as the lounge that is outside of the bookstore is still referred to as the Mac Shack.
The Mac Shack in the 1960s. Photo courtesy of Immaculata University/Gabriele Library.
The Campus Bookstore
The campus bookstore itself has also changed locations several times over the years at Immaculata. The original bookstore was located in Good Counsel Hall, but not at its current location on the terrace level. Eventually, the bookstore was relocated to the terrace level of Villa Maria Hall in what is now the business office.
You can still see evidence of this former space today in sections of newer drywall that cover what were once interior windows. The bookstore was eventually relocated to its current location in the terrace level of Good Counsel during renovations in the 1990s, a period when many older spaces were repurposed or redesigned.
The Campus Bookstore in Villa Maria Hall. Photo courtesy of Immaculata University/Gabriele Library.
The JFK Lounge
Another popular student space was the JFK Lounge, which was located in Villa Maria’s terrace level, where the print and mail center, lockers, and restrooms are located. The lounge featured televisions, couches, and other recreational spaces for students to enjoy. During the renovations of the 1990s, the area was removed, and its equipment was relocated to Alumni Hall. The lounge in Alumni Hall became known as the “Open Door Lounge.”
Today, that particular space has since been converted into a physical rehabilitation area. Unfortunately, I have not found any photos of the JFK Lounge, but I am sure some exist.
The Faculty Lounge in Good Counsel Hall. Photo courtesy of Immaculata University/Gabriele Library.
The Original Theater
Villa Maria Hall was also home to the university’s original theater, located in what is now the registrar’s office across the hall from the old pool. This space hosted plays and performances and featured a sloped floor, similar to traditional theaters, although that feature is no longer visible today.
The theater was eventually removed in the late 1940s or early 1950s when a new performance space was constructed in the Fieldhouse. There is very little to suggest that the area was once a theater.
The Theater in Villa Maria Hall. Photo courtesy of Immaculata University/Gabriele Library.
The First Gymnasium
The original campus gymnasium was located beneath the Nazareth Dining Hall, in the area that the psychology offices now occupy. At the time, students had to play around large structural columns that are still visible today. This was a major inconvenience for the basketball players who had to run around these columns while dribbling.
The gym was later relocated to the Fieldhouse, marking a shift in the university’s athletic facilities. However, after the Fieldhouse burnt down in the late 1960s, the Mighty Macs movie suggests that the basketball team temporarily re-used the old gym space in Nazareth until Alumni Hall was built in the early 1970s.
The gymnasium in Nazareth Hall. Photo courtesy of Immaculata University/Gabriele Library.
The swimming pool in Villa Maria Hall. Photo courtesy of Immaculata University/Gabriele Library.
The Fourth Floor of Villa Maria Hall
One of the more overlooked areas on campus is the fourth floor of Villa Maria Hall, located directly beneath the dome. Today, the space is largely abandoned, though lights remain on in parts of the floor. The area once housed dorms for Sisters but has not been regularly used since the 1990s.
According to those familiar with the space, some areas of the floor are unsafe to walk on, and the maintenance workers are careful about where they step. One person even describes an old shower still intact, with soap left behind on the ledge after all these years.
The Campus Bell
Overlooking much of this history is the original campus bell, which is located above the Nazareth Chapel. In earlier years, the bell was used daily to signal mass and meals. Today, it is used on rare occasions, most frequently during funeral processions for the Sisters. The rope used to ring the bell can still be seen hanging in a back room, and the bell itself remains visible on the roof of Nazareth.
Only authorized personnel are allowed to ring the bell; please do not attempt to ring it yourself.
The rope to ring the bell in the Nazareth Chapel. Photo courtesy of Luke Griffith.
Other Forgotten Features
Several other smaller features of the campus have also changed over time.
A volleyball court once stood where Lot D is now located outside of the Great Hall. A fountain that sat in front of Villa Maria Hall was recently removed in March 2026. There was also a fallout shelter from the Cold War era, with its original entrance blocked off in Terrace Rotunda near the vending machines.
In addition to that, alumni also recall a small convenience-style store that once operated in the basement of Loyola Hall near the nursing section. The campus also once featured a practice house used for student learning, which included a kitchen and several bedrooms. The original practice house was located above the Nazareth Chapel in what is now the location of the fashion department, before being relocated to the present-day Bruder Center.
What is now the student life offices in Dechantal Hall was once a large lounge with a spacious fireplace for students and faculty to enjoy. According to Dr. Rollison, the lounge was removed to make way for the student life offices approximately 20 to 25 years ago.
The lounge in Dechantal Hall. Photo courtesy of Immaculata University/Gabriele Library.
The Lourdes Loft overlooking the old library. Photo courtesy of Immaculata University/Gabriele Library.
Looking Ahead
While many of these spaces have been repurposed or removed, their presence still resonates throughout the campus. Other interesting features, including the former indoor swimming pool in Villa Maria Hall and Mary Lake, have been discussed in separate articles because of their significance to the history of the campus.
In addition, the Fieldhouse, which The building, which once housed a gymnasium and auditorium, was lost to a fire before the construction of Alumni Hall in the early 1970s and will be the subject of an upcoming article. A future article will also explore the former train station at Immaculata and the story of Duffy’s Cut.
