The Arch

The Arch has become a significant symbol of Misericordia in the last few decades. When College Misericordia became Misericordia University in 2007, it adopted the Arch as part of its new branding, along with the tagline “It Starts at the Arch.” The Arch represents strength, as well as a passage between  

The Arch was designed by Philadelphia architect F. Ferdinand Durang (1884-1966), the same firm that designed the original Administration Building (now Mercy Hall). The Arch was included in the 1930 contract with Durang for the Administration Building's east and west wings. It was constructed by Sordoni Construction Co., out of Forty-Fort, Pennsylvania. 

The Arch does not have an official name; in the past, it had been referred to as the “entrance gateway” and the “south entrance gate.” It was also not the original entrance to campus; prior to the building of the Arch, there was an entrance to campus farther along Lake Street (just before the current North Gate). Some of the original retaining wall still exists.