Did you know that Penn State’s main building (the original Old Main) served, in part, as a residence hall for students until the early 1920s? In fact, the main building was the only on-campus housing available to students from the time The Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania enrolled its first students in 1859 until the Ladies' Cottage was completed in 1889.
The photo gallery below highlights some of the earliest scenes of residence life at Penn State, as well as snapshots from throughout the decades.