Like most of the campus, the land surrounding the Field House once was home to factories and warehouses, part of Williamsport's rich industrial heritage. From West Third Street south to the Susquehanna River, campus acreage once held a variety of companies that manufactured wood products, furniture, iron or steel products as well as salvage yards.
Today, the Field House and its adjacent athletic fields help to connect the instructional facilities at the heart of the campus with student residences at the Rose Street Commons apartment complex at the western perimeter of the campus.