Built ca. 1875 as a residence for Holmes Erwin, Rose Terrace illustrates the prosperity enjoyed by Staunton following the Civil War. Near the top of the city’s highest hill, the L-shaped, two-and-a-half-story structure is in a freely-interpreted Italianate style. It is an outstanding example of Victorian-era taste, with decorative brickwork and fancy chimneystacks. Rose Terrace was purchased in 1919 by Mary Baldwin Seminary (now Mary Baldwin College) and served as the president’s home for many years. More recently, the building has served as a residence hall and home of the college admissions office. Towering above the college’s lower campus, Rose Terrace provides a lively architectural foil for Mary Baldwin’s cream-colored, Greek Revival academic structures and serves as a link between the upper and lower portions of the campus.