Salisbury University unveils timeless renovation

SALISBURY, Md. — Monday night marked the unveiling of Salisbury University’s newly renovated social room.

Jason Curtin, Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement and Exec. Dir. of the Salisbury University Foundation, said the space carries historic significance.

“This room is special because, when the university was founded, it was a teacher’s college and mostly women and men would use this room for socials and teas,” Curtin said. “This may have been where they first started supervised dating.”

The renovation was designed to reflect the building’s history with a touch of refined style, Curtin said.

“All of this new period-piece furniture has been put in, the new lights, the new ceiling — everything has just been redone,” he said. “The only thing original in this room is the grandfather clock behind me, which dates back to 1929.”

He added, “We unveiled the new and improved social room of Holloway Hall over the summer. Working with Bryan LeCompte, we were able to restore this historic space, made possible by a number of donors. We really wanted to honor our centennial, capture the historic nature of the space and make it feel like you’re stepping back in time while modernizing it, but also keeping that timeless feel.”

Before the university hosted concerts and large celebrations on campus, students gathered in the social room.

“Back in the 1920s, this is where they came to play cards, to play games, to do different things,” Curtain said. “This was the hub of student life when the university was founded.”

The room first opened in 1932, and the renovation comes just in time for Salisbury University’s Centennial, spokesperson and public relations director Jason Rhodes said.

“Salisbury University is about to celebrate our 100th anniversary,” Rhodes said. “As we prepare for the Salisbury University Centennial, events like the one that inaugurated this updated version of the social room really speak to the heart of what we are at SU.”