Irving Female College
Also known as: Irving Manor Apartments & Seidle Memorial Hospital
Why it's listed
Irving Hall, begun in 1856 on land donated by Solomon Perry Gorgas, anchors a campus on the edge of Mechanicsburg. Its Italianate front has paired windows, French doors and a porch and balcony, and it was later extended with an east wing. Columbian Hall, built in 1893 with a projecting stair tower, and the Spanish Renaissance President's Mansion, built in 1911 for President Edmond Campbell, complete the group. The college enrolled women from the region and was described as a social center for the rural town, offering music, literature and drama. Its alumnae included Jane Deeter Ripon, president of the Girl Scouts of America, and Ida Kast, the county's first female lawyer. The college closed after the Great Depression, and the buildings were later adapted for apartments and hospital use while their exteriors remain largely intact.
Significance in brief: The complex is associated with Irving Female College, founded in 1856, which provided advanced education for women and served as a social and cultural center for Mechanicsburg. The nomination states that the college was the second oldest female college in Pennsylvania and that it was the first female college in the state to grant degrees in arts and sciences. The buildings and landscape are described as retaining much of their original exterior appearance despite adaptive reuse.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83002231, listed May 6, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Filbert, Main, and Simpson Sts., Mechanicsburg |
|---|---|
| County | Cumberland County |
| Listed | May 6, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83002231 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1856-1930 |
| Architectural style | Italianate (Irving Hall and Columbian Hall); Spanish Renaissance (President's Mansion) |
| Areas of significance | Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Irving Hall and Columbian Hall have been converted to apartments; the President's Mansion is part of Seidle Memorial Hospital. |
| Acreage | 4.6 |
| Coordinates | 40.21402, -76.99990 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83002231.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15228828
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.