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VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY
is located 15 miles west of center city Philadelphia on a 255-acre campus
in the scenic and historic Main Line (*see below) suburbs near Valley
Forge, Pennsylvania. The campus grounds reflect every bit of Villanova's
160+ year history with buildings that can be described as anything from
modern works of art to well-preserved masterpieces.
THE OFFICE OF CONFERENCE SERVICES
works to promote the University as a unique and stimulating venue for
conferences, camps, meetings, professional development programs, retreats,
festivals, exhibitions and special events. Meeting spots include:
conference rooms - classrooms - computer labs - lecture halls - theaters -
a multi-purpose indoor arena - a ropes team building course and a
lighted, outdoor stadium. The University has a setting and a learning
environment for every purpose and group.
MEETING PLANNERS will appreciate one-stop-shop planning assistance, and the Staff's
familiarity with campus facilities and services is invaluable. Full-time
staff will assist meeting planners with the many elements of program
coordination and site management before, during and after each
conference. The Staff belong to both Meeting Professionals International
and the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau. Thus, Villanova
Conference Services is your main line to successful meeting
planning and hosting.
LOCATION
and convenience are ideal. The campus is only ½ mile from I-476 and a few
minutes from the PA Turnpike (I-76). There is a commuter train station
on campus. It is a 30-minute trip downtown with a direct connection
on to the Philadelphia Airport-bound train. In the immediate area, stores
and restaurants are in plentiful supply along Villanova's Lancaster Pike
(US Rte 30) location. In addition, the campus is a 15-minute car ride to
the largest mall, King of Prussia, on the East Coast, two hours to New
York and Baltimore, about one hour (west) to the Pennsylvania Dutch
Country, and less than two hours (east) to Atlantic City, NJ.
OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS
are diversified to meet group needs. Housing options range from
modern, air-conditioned, furnished guest apartments with private
bathrooms, linen service and internet access, to traditional residence hall
arrangements, and some accommodations in- between.
DINING SERVICES AND CATERING SERVICES
are University-operated. Whether it is a refreshment break, a reception,
an elegant meal, or the all-you-care-to-eat dining hall buffet, your group
will receive outstanding quality and attentive food service.
AVAILABILITY
of meeting facilities, business services,
dining and catering services is year-round. Campus housing accommodations
are only available from late May to early August; however there are eight
hotels within a 15-minute drive from campus.
Whatever your agenda, whether you seek to
motivate, educate or entertain a group of five to twenty-five hundred or
more, Villanova's Office of Conference Services wants to be your main line
to a great University meeting site!
*A BRIEF HISTORY
OF THE PHILADELPHIA MAIN LINE SUBURBS
Once home to the Lenni Lenape Indians, the
land was first settled in 1663-1665 by a group of Quakers from Radnorshire,
Wales. Seeking religious freedom, the settlers immigrated to a 5,000 acre
section they purchased from William Penn, which had been granted him by
the Crown. Radnor Township, home to Villanova University, was officially
founded in 1682 in what was known at the time as Penn's Greene Countrie.
Through the Revolutionary War, the area
was a no-man's land between Philadelphia to the east and Valley Forge to
the west. It was the site of several skirmishes between George
Washington's Continental Army and the British. One of the inns along the
way, the "Sorrel Horse", is said to have sheltered General Washington and
General Lafayette during the encampment at Valley Forge, 1777-1778. The
inn still stands today on the campus of the Agnes Irwin School, about
one-half mile from the University.
Years later, traffic and development came
to what would become the Main Line area with the opening in 1794 of a
macadam toll road heading west out of Philadelphia, the Lancaster
Turnpike, the first toll road in America. The University is located on
this Lancaster Pike, US Route 30, although it is now a commercial
thoroughfare. It was in 1842 that the first of many great local country
estates was converted to institutional use when the Brothers of the Order
of Hermits of St. Augustine established the Catholic College of St. Thomas
of Villanova, now Villanova University.
The name "Main Line" is the title given to
the group of suburban communities west of Philadelphia. The communities
grew along the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad which came through
Villanova in 1832. It was originally built by wealthy industrialists to
ease their commute from Philadelphia to their country homes, gentleman
farms and summer residences. The railroad, which transported goods and
mail as well as people, quickly prospered as did the surrounding
developments and businesses.
Today there is a potpourri of communities
(Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Rosemont, Villanova, St. Davids,
Wayne, etc.) named after the railroad stations, preserving the ambience
and beauty of the area; all within easy commute to center city
Philadelphia. The townships and local communities have worked diligently
to preserve open space and the natural greenery, and the Villanova
University campus handsomely reflects this heritage. |
