Home » Features » New ‘Pan Hall’ residents share their favorite Loretto connections

New ‘Pan Hall’ residents share their favorite Loretto connections

Posted on January 22, 2024, by Mary Nelle Gage SL

An historic, large brick building is profiled against the evening sky, lights twinkling brightly.
Pancratia Hall.
Photo by the Unfound Door Creative Consulting Agency

The Sisters of Loretto founded Loretto Heights College (LHC) in 1891 in Denver. As Loretto Heights College expanded, Pancratia Hall was built in 1930 by renowned Denver architect Henry Edbrooke to provide classrooms and dormitories for Loretto Heights Academy students.

The Academy closed in 1942 and Pancratia Hall continued to provide both academic and residential space for the college. Regis College took ownership of the campus in 1988 and soon sold Loretto Heights to Teikyo University. Teikyo continued to use Pan Hall, as many came to fondly call it, for both academic and residential space. Westside Investment Partners purchased the former LHC campus in 2018 and soon thereafter sold Pancratia Hall to Hartman/Ely Partners, which renovates and restores historic buildings. Pancratia Hall Lofts was re-dedicated in 2019, honoring its historic national and city landmark designations.

Today Pan Hall provides studio, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom affordable apartment homes. Pancratia Hall Lofts is an all-electric facility, with laundry and exercise rooms on each floor. The chapel, the ballroom and the gymnasium are apartment homes, with stained glass windows, archways, blackboards and basketball hoop. A large courtyard in back, on the west facing the mountains, and the campus quadrangle to the south provide open-space enjoyment. 

At least four of the 74 apartments are home to singles, seniors and families, many of whom have Loretto connections to Pancratia’s history. Learn what they love about Pan Hall and the beloved former LHC campus on our Facebook page this week.

Avatar

Mary Nelle Gage SL

Mary Nelle was raised in Texas and graduated from Loretto Heights College ('66) where she met the Sisters of Loretto. After entering Loretto in 1967, she taught English, speech and drama at St. Mary's Academy and Machebeuf High School. Mary Nelle joined Sister Susan Carol McDonald in Saigon, Vietnam, to care for orphans and to assist with their adoption. For 20 years she resettled refugees for several church agencies. For 30 years she has done customer service at American Airlines and does occasional marketing for EarthLinks. She is involved in the preservation and re-development of the LHC (Loretto Heights College) campus.
Cupola Cross 2-Icon

Loretto welcomes you

Learn more or plan a visit to the Motherhouse!

Leave a Comment





This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Cupola Cross 2-Icon

Loretto welcomes you

Learn more or plan a visit to the Motherhouse!