The tenants of The Baldwin School’s Residence have been fostering a family together for years. Baldwin provides apartment spaces for current faculty members and retired ones alike. 

According to the Bryn Mawr Business Association, the Residence was originally part of the Bryn Mawr Hotel, which was built in 1871. It was designed by Frank Furness, a notable Victorian architect. 

In 1888, Florence Baldwin founded the Baldwin School and conducted classes in her mother’s home. Nine years later, she leased and later purchased the hotel to use for classroom space. According to the Lower Merion Historical Society, Baldwin became a boarding school, and the rooms in the Residence were used as student dormitories. 

Now, the building is a hodge-podge of admissions offices, art studios, music classes, and the entire middle school. Despite how much the Residence has changed over the decades, a few apartments remain, occupied by faculty and their families. 

Through sharing the same building and workspace, the community has flourished, and tenants have bonded with each other in numerous and meaningful ways. 

Mrs. Oxana Harlamova, Orchestra Director, has been living in the Residence since 2001. Mrs. Harlamova said, “It’s wonderful. Residents helped me raise my kids—it’s like a big family. We helped each other, saying things like, ‘Go out for dinner, I will take care of your kids.’ It was like a big village.”

Mrs. Harlamova added, “I would just call and they would pick up [my daughter] Maria from preschool or daycare… Kath Houlahan from Admissions was living on the second floor, and would always pick up Maria for me.”

Ms. Pitocchelli, PE teacher and athletic coach, said, “When I started living at Baldwin, I was like, ‘I don’t want anyone in my business.’ But there were flowers at my door when I first moved in, welcoming me to the Residence. And in the past we have had resident parties and fun celebrations of milestone birthdays and things like that. I felt really lucky.” 

The tight-knit community of the Residence apartments is certainly unique. When asked about her experience in a different apartment building, Ms. Pitocchelli said, “I basically knew my manager and that was it. There were a couple of people I would see and say hello to, but I didn’t really know them.”

Right under the noses of Baldwin students—or rather, above their heads—a flourishing community lives in the rooms just beyond their classrooms.