The new Visitor Center grew out of the need to interpret the St. Mary's Chapel, which once served the oldest Catholic seminary in the United States, and the historic Mother Seton House that was the Baltimore residence of the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.
Organized around two walls—one brick and the other stone—that are remnants of the original seminary, the Center provides access to both structures with an interior ramp and stair that brings visitor to a lower lobby and garden level. The east side of the brick wall is new construction, simple but contemporary in design. The west side and incorporate an historic wooden colonnade that defines the eastern edge of the chapel grounds.
"Seton Hill Offers a Glimpse into Baltimore's Early Days" – by Jacques Kelly, The Baltimore Sun, August 15, 2009
"Splendid new visitor center at St. Mary’s Spiritual Center and Historic Site" – by Matt Palmer, The Catholic Review, September 15, 2009
Details
- Interpretation of two National Historic Landmark sites
- Lobby/exhibit spaces, gift shop, multipurpose room, restrooms and related support spaces
- Salvage and reuse of wood columns, beams, curved brackets, and joist