A Historical Tour of the Saint Joseph's Campus

Saint Joseph's College is located on a 474-acre campus on Sebago Lake at Standish Neck on what was once known as the Woldbrook Estate. It was established by the Verrill family of Portland in 1907 as a summer residence. The estate constituted Woldbrook Hall (now known as Xavier Hall) , a chapel for Mrs. Verrill, and Ledgewold Hall (now known as St. George's Hall). It also included a nine-hole golf course, a boat house, a gentlemen’s farm (farming for pleasure rather than profit or subsistence), an ice skating pond and warming shack, and what is now called the Stone Barn (across the street from the campus' main entrance). In his history of the property, Saint Joseph's alumnus, Durward Ferland, writes, "The Verrill family passed many enjoyable days at Woldbrook Estate." For more about the buildings and the Verrill's life on the estate, go here.

The Verrills were not the only ones to inhabit this property before the Sisters purchased it. Dr. Steve Bridge, Professor of Theology, has unearthed artifacts and traced the College’s property records back to 1773. He has concluded that there have been around 130 owners of the property previous to the Verrill Family. At least three of those owners had some sort of association with George Washington.

The Verrill Estate

Xavier Hall

Named in memory of Sister Mary Xaveria Toohey, RSM, the foundress of Saint Joseph's College, this building of Tudor design is one of the three original structures on campus and served as the Verrill family's summer home. When the College first moved here, Xavier was designated as a residence for senior women until 1970. Today it houses offices for the President, Academic Affairs, Finance and Administration, and Institutional Advancement. Also located in Xavier Hall is the Murphy Alumni Center, named in honor of Sister Mary Ellen Murphy, RSM, from Hartford, Conn, who served as Academic Dean and Dean of the College from 1983 to 1998. In the time of the Verrill's, this room was used by Mrs. Verrill for music, painting and other artwork. In 1956, it became the College's first chapel and subsequently housed the Academic Affairs Office. The dire need for more spacious quarters in the mid-'90s led to moving the Offce for Academic Affairs to its present location on the second floor of Xavier, in what was once the Treasurer's Office.

The Stone Barn

In 1911, the Verrills commissioned Almon "Al" Manchester for a number of stone masonry projects on both sides of the Whites Bridge Road. The largest of these was to build a Normandy-style stone barn located across the street from what is now the main entrance to the College. It was to be part of a farm. After substantial refurbishing, it is now known as one of Maine’s most elegant barn venues for weddings and events. For the interesting story about how the barn was built, click here.

the stone cottage

To the right of Mercy Hall's back entrance you will see what marks another of the three original buildings on campus. It served as a meditation chapel during the time of the Verrill family. It is here that Mother Mary Evangelist and Mother Mary Edwina encountered the stained glass windows which would convince them that this was the new location for the College.

The story has it that it was intended to serve also as the Verrill family mausoleum. Ten years after the Sisters arrived here, one of the maintenance men found a loose tile in the marble floor, there to find a small tin box labeled simply "Remains of Baby Verrill." Records show that a second son had been buried there, but his remains had been previously removed to a Portland cemetery. In the late '80s, a funeral parlor in Arizona contacted the College saying that another Verrill son had died and had requested in his will that his remains be returned to the family estate in Standish. We were, of course, understandably unable to grant this request, as this building was now serving College needs.

For a time the building served as a storage site for maintenance equipment. During her tenure as President, Sister Mary Carmel had it restored as a place for meditation once again. Over the years, however, because of increasing need for space, it has had various uses — The Coffee House, Office for Recreation Activities, Office for Student Activities/intramural Sports, facilities for the yearbook and student newspaper publications, as well as faculty offices. It now serves as the Visual Arts Studio.

saint george Hall

This is the third of the three original estate buildings on campus. It served as the summer home for the Verrill's daughter Louise and her family, and it was named Ledgewold Hall. When the Sisters arrived, they named it Coolock House, the name of the estate where Catherine McAuley was invited to live with the Callaghan's in Ireland. The Callaghan's became the great benefactors for Catherine's works of Mercy. "Coolock House" was changed to "Saint George Hall" at the request of Monsignor George P. Johnson in return for his payment of the mortgage on the building. From 1956 until 1997, Saint George Hall was the residence for several of the Sisters who served as faculty, administrators and staff. In 1997, it was converted and remodeled for the Offices of Enrollment Management and Admission.

The stone pond

Off of the back parking lot of Saint Joseph's Hall is a small pond which, during the time of the Verrill's, was considered a hazard on the then existing golf course. Over the years small fish and water lilies have made their home there. In the winter, when the Maintenance Department has had time to clear it, it has served as a skating rink. It also provided data for some small scale environmental science projects. In 1999, this site was named in honor of Fred Stone, who served for many years as the Director of Admissions and subsequently as the Director of Recreation.

The rest of campus

Margaret H. Heffernan center

This building was named in memory of the wife of Raymond Heffernan, a benefactor of the College and a man of a deep and active faith. Within this complex are five important areas:

Daniel and Kathleen Wellehan Library: The Wellehans were well-known in Portland, Lewiston and Bangor for their stores: Lamey-Wellehan Shoes. They also were very interested in the College and its growth. In addition to the stacks, audio-visual resources, and study rooms, it also houses the offices of the Director and members of the staff.
McAuley Foyer: This is the designation for the area which serves as an entrance to the Chapel and to Student Affairs. It contains comfortable lounge chairs and tables which permit study and meetings to happen. The name was given at the request of Mr. James McBrady, a member of the Board of Trustees for many years, as well as one of the primary workers to oversee the building's construction. Mr. McBrady was grateful for the influence and care he and his family experienced from the Sisters of Mercy over the years; thus the name in honor of the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley.
Mercy Center: On the second floor are the offices of Campus Ministry. This is the hub for planning and implementing programs and events conducive to the spiritual growth of the campus community (e.g., Mass, retreats, Bible studies, faith sharing, etc.), as well as service opportunities such as the Spring Break Workfest.
Student Affairs: Off McAuley Foyer is the Office of the Chief Student Affairs Officer. The original use for this space was designated as the Peter George Board Room. Need, however, prevailed so Board of Trustees meetings were scheduled elsewhere and Student Affairs moved in. Upstairs is the Office of Student Activities. Students continually come and go here seeking answers to their questions, verifying dates for club meetings, scheduling weekend activities, etc.

Our Lady of Mercy Statue

Among the many Saints that populate the Catholic faith, there is a particular devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus. A number of feast days are dedicated to her. One of them is the Feast of Our Lady Mercy on September 24. In Catholic belief, Mary intercedes on our behalf asking Jesus for mercy and compassion. This date is particularly important to Mercy institutions like Saint Joseph's as it is the day that Catherine McAuley opened the House of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland, in 1827. As a result, we celebrate each September 24 as Mercy Day.

Josephine C. Healy Memorial Chapel

The chapel is located on the ground floor of the Heffernan Center. James Augustine Healy, husband of Josephine, and first cousin to Mother Mary Evangelist Ward, RSM, and Monsignor Edward F. Ward, was a benefactor to the sponsored works of the Sisters of Mercy in Maine. He established the Healy Fund to serve as principal for whatever was needed. In his will he stated that the Fund should support the building of a Chapel on the College campus to honor the memory of his wife. This happened in 1982 and is dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God. The hand blown stained-glass panel behind the altar tells the story of creation and shows the sky, the land, and the waters of the earth. According to the artist, Bert Weiss, the blues and white symbolize the periods of our life that are calm and/or stormy. The browns represent periods of dryness in our lives. The greens are evidence of times of tranquility. The cross is the Mercy Cross: the violet center represents Christ's death; the light amber represents the Risen Lord; and the deep amber tells us Christ will come again. The shaded amber rays emanating from the earth show our responses to the honor and glory of God. The single shaft of red shows the union of Father and Son.

Mercy Hall

This building was built in 1955 and named to honor the charism of the Sisters of Mercy. It is located on what was part of the Verrill 9-hole golf course. Initially, this was the only classroom building, with the second floor serving as residence for a number of the young women and the lower level housing dining facilities. Administration offices were also located in this building. Today it houses classrooms, faculty offices, science laboratories, Student Success Services, the Registrar, and the Treasurer's Office.On the lower level is located Pearson's Cafe (the dining hall), as well as a smaller dining room named in honor of Sister Mary Kneeland, RSM, Treasurer Emerita.

Ward Park

This area was named to honor Monsignor Edward F. Ward, a long-time friend and benefactor to the Sisters of Mercy, as well as to Saint Joseph's College. He was also a brother of Mother Mary Evangelist Ward, RSM, who was responsible for the moving of the College from Portland to Standish and a cousin to James Augustine Healy who financed the campus chapel. He was a respected and honored member of the clergy, an avid sportsman while a student at Holy Cross College, and a continued sports fan throughout his life. Thus, the name is certainly fitting for this part of campus. Ward Park contains the baseball and softball fields. Each field has dugouts for the home team and visitors' team and a press box. One special benefactor for the baseball diamond is Larry Mahaney, a great sportsman in his own right with membership in the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.

saint joseph's hall

This first residence hall was built in 1959 and named in honor of the patron of the College. The Sisters of Mercy all over the world have a very strong devotion to this man who, according the Catholic tradition, was the foster father of Jesus and spouse of Mary. It was fitting to name this first residence after Joseph for, along with many other titles given him by the Catholic church, he is called the "Protector of Families" and the College has always prided itself on its core value of community. Presently, located in this 4-storied building are 50 resident rooms. On the first floor are to be found offices for Career Services, Counseling and Archives.

Service Building

This building was affectionately called "The Monster Building" by members of the College community when it was first constructed. Converting from an all-women's institution to a co-educational one necessitated some changes in what was being offered for recreational and social activities. A place for the students to "work out, to run, to let off steam/stress" was one of the needs defined. With no excess money, this building was constructed of simply four walls, a roof, a cement floor and changing rooms for men and women. No extras were introduced; thus, the "affectionate" name is self-explanatory.

In 1979, this complex was named in memory of President Currier who introduced the first formal program of men's sports. Because it housed the home court for the men's and women's basketball teams, the building soon took on a new title meant to send a message to visiting teams: "Chamber of Horrors." Over the years, some few additions were added like bleachers, parquet floor, an extension to provide office space for Athletics and for Student Services, a dance/aerobics room, appropriate locker spaces for home teams and visitors, and a weight lifting/exercise room. In 1999, after a successful capital fund campaign, the Harold Alfond Center replaced this initial "sports complex." The building was then converted to provide offices for various services. It now houses Facilities Management (maintenance and housekeeping) as well as the Mail Room & Copy Center.

Putnam and Scully Halls

These buildings were originally constructed in 1970 as residence hall town houses for students. When the College transitioned to a coeducational institution, resident facilities for the young men became an immediate necessity. These residences were referred to simply as Town Houses A, B C, D, E, and F in line with the number of entrances. In 1986, E and F were designated to be one unit and named in honor of Fredric L. Putnam, the father of two of our Trustees at the time, Steven and David. The Putnam families for many years have been generous benefactors to the College, as well as to other Mercy sponsored institutions, in terms of their time, treasure and talent. In 1999, Town Houses A, B, C, and D, were named in memory of Margaret Scully '55 and Helen Scully, two gracious ladies and generous benefactors. Today, the Departments of Online Administration and Technology-Enhanced Instruction can be found in Putnam Hall. Scully Hall houses the Brand Studio and the Office of Mission Aligned Businesses (MAB).

The Harold Alfond Center

This long awaited addition to our campus was completed and dedicated in September, 1999. Harold Alfond, former owner of Dexter Shoe Company of Maine and known for his generosity to many athletic building projects in Maine and beyond, presented us with a matching challenge of $1 Thanks to the efforts of many, we met the challenge and surpassed it. Today, we point with pride to this Center which houses a swimming pool, gymnasium, suspended running track, weights/exercise room, dance room, climbing wall, athletic offices, lounges and other attractions.

Sister Mary Dolores Sablone Alumni Lounge: From 1959 to 1983, Sister Dolores served in various capacities — professor of German and theology, Academic Dean, and as the ninth President. Respected by all for her scholarship and criteria for excellence, alumni are honored to have their space dedicated to her memory.

Harold Alfond Hall

The long-awaited second facility for classroom learning! Our first was Mercy Hall, built in 1955. Indeed, this is a state-of-the-art building which includes among its many features: a tiered lecture hall, wireless technology, air conditioning, and environmentally friendly materials throughout. Within the building we have honored generous benefactors with the Viola and Peter George Auditorium and the Andrew and Helen McSween Wing. The Hall itself is named after the man who repeated his trust in us by putting forth another large challenge grant to which so many friends of the College responded. You will learn about this individual when we come to the Alfond Center.

Cassidy Hall

At the request of Barbara Cassidy, this residence hall was named to memorialize her mother, Irene Delano Cassidy of Bangor, Maine. Barbara served on the Board of Trustees and has been a benefactor of the College. Mrs. Cassidy was also mother to Roselle Cassidy Flynn, another friend to the College and was a sister to Sister Mary Consolata Delano, RSM, who served at Mercy Hospital for many years. The Human Resources Department is located on the lower level.

The pollinator garden

In 2019 Saint Joseph's College became the 73rd educational institution in the nation, and the first in Maine, to be certified as one of the affiliates of the Bee Campus USA program a certification program that seeks to stabilize campus landscapes as ideal habitat for pollinators, such as bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, to name only a few.

This garden consists of a cluster of raised beds designed to contribute to a campus habitat that allows the many local pollinator species to thrive. The garden showcases blossoms from a number of plants such as lupines, lobelias, and columbine, in addition to many others. It is one part of the College's commitment to sustainable practices.

Julie's Path

This woven outdoor labyrinth is set off of the quiet walking path that takes you down to Sebago Lake. It named for Julie A. Lentz, a young woman who, before her premature death, graduated with high honors from St. Mary’s of Notre Dame, majoring in Biochemistry. Julie exemplified— through her faith, devoted spiritual journey, commitment to social justice, environmental consciousness, and life full of joy— the values instilled into all students who attend Saint Joseph’s College.

Labyrinth walking is an ancient form of meditation. This focused walking meditation allows one to let go of the burdens and worries of life, find comfort and peace, and search one’s soul for answers, all while strolling among the beauty of God’s creation. Julie's Path serves as a form of spiritual pilgrimage, allowing one to walk the circuitous path to its center, pause for reflection, and follow the path back to where he or she began their journey. The winding path to the center of the circle represents a journey of faith, reflecting Catherine McAuley’s conviction that life is a journey toward God.

sebago lake

Part of Saint Joseph's campus rests along the shore of Maine's second largest lake. It encompasses about 45 square miles in surface area, has a length of 14 miles, and has a shoreline length of roughly 105 miles. It is also one of the state’s deepest lakes with a maximum depth of 316 feet. It is bordered by the towns of Casco, Naples, Raymond, Sebago. The primary water source for the City of Portland, Sebago Lake is considered to be one of the purist lakes in Maine. With fall’s fiery ignition of the trees all over campus, especially along the path down the lake, you will find rest here from the hustle and bustle of daily life at the College amidst the comfort of the woods, the watery breezes, and the faint crashing of waves on windy days.

Special thanks to Sr. Mary George O'Toole who prepared a pamphlet titled Welcome to Saint Joseph's College of Maine: Milestones and Walk-About. Much of the information on this page is based on it.

Page updated

Report abuse