Old Main, Geneva’s first and most distinctive building, has a fascinating history, covering more than 143 years. Part of that fascinating history involves its doors and stairs.

When the construction of the College building was completed in 1881, there were entrances and doors on all sides of the main floor of the building. The South door is the main entry of the of the building, but there were also doors on the North (closest to McCartney Library), West (closest to Alumni Hall), and East (closest to the Student Center/S&E) sides, as well. However the East door of the building was never opened for use and had no stairs at that entrance until 1946, a full 65 years after Old Main was built!

The North door and outdoor stairs were removed in 1960 when construction of two fireproof stairwells in Old Main was mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry for fire safety. These stairwells were constructed at the North and South sections — the longest dimensions of the building. A stone wing to enclose one stairwell was constructed on the North side. That stone wing remains to this day, but the entry on the North was removed.

The mandate for fireproof stairwells changed the interior stairs of Old Main, as well. Up until 1960, interior staircases like the current ones leading from the second floor to the third floor also led from the first floor lobby to the second floor. There were also different stairs going from the first floor to the basement of the building.

Additionally, the creation of the fireproof stairwell on the North side of the building required cutting a six-foot corridor into the stage to provide access to the new stairwell behind the Chapel. That gap in the Chapel stage remained for 25 years. "Occasionally the stage was used for a play or something," says former music faculty Louise Copeland '66. "They had some football players that were supposed to sit right at the front and, if necessary, they would get up and move the stuff out of the way." In the summer of 1985, the Chapel was remodeled: the stage was redesigned, enlarged, and rebuilt in oak. With the 1960s’ regulations now outmoded, the deplorable gap in the stage could finally be closed.

These fun facts are things to think about the next time you use doors and stairs in Old Main!

This article originally appeared in The Cabinet, October 17, 2024.

By Kae Kirkwood '83, Geneva College Archival Librarian