Slippery Rock Normal School opened its doors to students in 1889 for the purpose of training school teachers for local communities. To the students and faculty at this time, the campus would have been rather small, consisting of three wooden buildings. These buildings served as dormitories, a place for religious worship, and classrooms for academic pursuits. The three buildings were North Hall, the Chapel, and South Hall.They were heated by steam, lit with natural gas, and had running water.
The original Chapel was the campus's main building. Located between the two dormitories, it measured 60x100 square feet. The first floor was used for classes and lectures. The second floor was an assembly room of 800 opera seats with an additional 200 in the gallery.
(Photograph, black and white, c.1889)
