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I began my research for our architecture blogs the same way I always do - on the school's website. I search for any info I could find there, and every other website that even mentioned the Ward Memorial Arch. And I found nothing, zilch, nada. I took my digging even deeper and called the McDaniel College library in hopes of finding a book or website that could shed some light (pun intended) on the history of this iconic piece of architecture. I was surprised to find none of the librarians had any information to share but I was promptly directed to the College Archivist - Gwenlyn Coddington. She was more than helpful and within a few days she had dug up a timeline of the Arch's history and the traditions around it.
It all began in 1898 when Ward Memorial Arch is donated to McDaniel College by Ulie Normet Hurley in memory of her late uncle and first president of McDaniel, J.T. Ward. Originally located between the President's House and McDaniel Hall, the Arch was then moved to the corner of Main and Union Streets in 1937 and is where it still stands today.
Fun Fact: The Arch was moved from it's original location because cars driving onto campus had difficulty crossing through it's narrow opening! In order to ensure accuracy, a local mason, Harry Ditman, labeled each stone so that the Arch could be reconstructed exactly as it was.
Though Ward Memorial Arch's reconstruction in it's new location was postponed and the winter weather had washed away all of Ditman's hard work, the Arch's reconstruction was able to continue without a hitch because Ditman had meticulously sketch the Arch, stone-by-stone and number-by-number, on his lunch bag!
Fast forward to 1976 and Ward Memorial Arch is added to the National Register of Historic Places. Then, in 2004, a grand new entrance was added to McDaniel College and the Arch was rededicated in name of Trustee Emerita Catherine “Cassie” Schumann Kiddoo, Class of 1946 who made the new entrance possible.
Ward Memorial Arch stands today an essential piece of McDaniel College and of the start of every student's journey. During each student's freshman years, after orientation, they are brough on a Candlelight Walk through the Arch as a way to symbolize their path "out of the darkness into the light". They then return to the Ward Memorial Arch as part of their graduation ceremony - bringing their path to enlightenment to fruition.
We've shrunk the Ward Memorial Arch down and made it a necklace you can carry with you always<3