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IV. The Plan to Meet the University's Facilities Needs
C. District Development Plans Historic Core 
The University of Maryland campus, formerly the Maryland Agricultural College, began on a hilltop now known as Morrill Hall Quadrangle, named after the oldest remaining college building (Morrill Hall, completed in 1898). As was customary of many public colleges founded during that period, the environs of the initially modest campus were planned and developed over time, into the early twentieth century. The development generally followed the American Romantic Style of landscape architecture and was characterized by the tradition of English landscape gardening; i.e., "picturesque/naturalistic" scenery.
The campus experienced its most notable period of expansion from 1935 to 1954, during which the specific Neo-Georgian style of architecture was established, and the landscape of McKeldin Mall was created as the heart  of campus. Designed in the Neo-Classical Beaux Arts landscape tradition, this existing physical order and orientation of the mall is essential to the University of Maryland to help maintain an overall identity, hierarchy, and sense of place within such a large institution. The physical order of the traditional campus is, therefore, the point of departure for all future planning and design of new development in this district.
The physical plan for the Historic Core projects capital improvements that maintain its character (Figure 9).
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