Cushing Hall (1824) is a dormitory at

Hampden–Sydney College gr, Ye Shall Know the Truth , established = , type = Private liberal arts men's college , religious_affiliation = Presbyterian Church (USA) , endowment = $258 million (2021) , president = Larry Stimpert , city = Hampden Sydney, Virginia , cou ...

southside Virginia Southside, or Southside Virginia, has traditionally referred to the portion of the state south of the James River, the geographic feature from which the term derives its name. This was the first area to be developed in the colonial period. Duri ...

. Built in sections from 1822–1833, Cushing Hall is the oldest four story dormitory still in use in the United States. The building is listed in the

Virginia Landmarks Register The Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR) is a list of historic properties in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The state's official list of important historic sites, it was created in 1966. The Register serves the same purpose as the National Registe ...

(1969) and on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

(1970) as a contributing property of Hampden–Sydney College Historic District. The structure is named after Jonathan P. Cushing, the fifth president of the college.

History

Cushing Hall was designed by William Phaup and Reuben Perry in the Federal style of architecture. The east wing and center section were completed by 1824, and the west section by 1833. Cushing Hall almost entirely replaced all the older buildings on the campus and was called "the College" (or "New College") until the early 20th century, when it was named Cushing Hall in honor of the College's fifth president, Jonathan P. Cushing.Hampden–Sydney Buildings
, H-SC Then & Now After almost a decade after being founded at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha (), commonly known as PIKE, is a college fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1868. The fraternity has over 225 chapters and colonies across the United States and abroad with over 15,500 undergraduate members over 30 ...

was "re-founded" as part of the Hampden–Sydney Convention, held in a student room of Cushing Hall in the late 1870s. The four delegates to the Hampden–Sydney Convention are referred to as the Junior Founders. It was at this convention that the fraternity defined itself as belonging to "the South." At the

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Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

Convention in 1909, Pi Kappa Alpha officially decided to declare itself a national organization. The exterior has been restored and the interior modernized (first in 1910, more recently in 1998). Porches were added in 1910, along with a slate roof, replacing the original cedar shakes. The front of the building was originally the back, which faced the 18th century campus (which it also replaced). Cushing Hall is the model for

Venable Hall Venable Hall is a dormitory at Hampden–Sydney College in southside Virginia. Built in sections from 1824 to 1830, Venable Hall is the second oldest dormitory on Hampden–Sydney's campus. The building is listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register ...

(which originally housed Hampden–Sydney's seminary school, now used primarily as a dormitory) and the Randolph–Macon Building in

Boydton, Virginia Boydton is a town in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, United States. The population was 431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, and it is near Kerr Lake. Geography Boydton is located at (36.667997, −78.389001). ...

.The Council of Independent Colleges
, Historic Campus Architecture Project

Functions

As with many 19th Century buildings in academia, Cushing Hall has been used for a myriad of functions throughout its lifetime. Since the 1820s, the building has been used as an auditorium, chapel, library, classrooms, and residence hall.

References

External links

{{Hampden–Sydney College 1824 establishments in Virginia 1833 establishments in Virginia Buildings and structures in Prince Edward County, Virginia Education in Prince Edward County, Virginia Hampden–Sydney College National Register of Historic Places in Prince Edward County, Virginia University and college dormitories in the United States University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia