Tunnels, Pools, and Ghosts: Exploring Space at St. Catherine University

Whitby Hall: Tea Room

In 1918 the Tea Room opened in Whitby Room 6, started by Sister Flavia and Sister Celestia. They opened the Tea Room to serve lunch to commuter students, prior to the Tea Room there was no designated space for commuting students to eat their lunch. The Tea Room enabled students to stay on campus longer and to make their commute easier. The Tea Room was so popular that it was later moved to the Chem Lab (Whitby Room 8) and then to St. Joseph's Hall in 1954. The Tea Room was the original cafeteria providing a place for students to eat their lunch and socialize.

The Tea Room would later be transformed with the construction of St. Joseph's Hall and the CdC. The later dining halls and food services provided for are directly impacted by the first Tea Room. The tradition that Sr. Flavia and Sr. Celestia were a part of remains today, staff of the university have always remained vigilant to the needs of the students and have done their best to provide great spaces. The Tea Rooms were so popular because they met the exact needs of students at the time. The Tea Room connects Whitby Hall to the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph; serving the needs of the people at the time. The Tea Room does the work of their mission and connects Whitby Hall to the Sisters that established the University. This connection to the sisters is often harder to see today as there are few sisters on campus. By remembering the space of the Tea Room we remember the sisters that established the college and the work they did to serve students. 

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