Old Main is a collection of five buildings joined together at central campus of
Marshall University
Marshall University is a public research university in Huntington, West Virginia. It was founded in 1837 and is named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States.
The university is currently composed of nine colleges: ...
in
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Cabell County, and the largest city in the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area, sometimes referred to as the Tri-State Area. A h ...
. It is located at the junction of
Hal Greer
Harold Everett Greer (June 26, 1936 – April 14, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1958 through 1973. A guard, Greer ...
Boulevard and Fourth Avenue. The original structure was completed in 1868 (as an addition to the University's first building, which was razed in 1898), with four other additions that was completed at various intervals until 1907. It is a landmark structure on campus, its towers becoming a "symbol of the university."
History
Old Main occupies a site that was once known as Maple Grove.
[Brown, Lisle, ed. "Marshall Academy, 1837." Marshall University Special Collections. 1 Sept. 2004, 20 Dec. 200]
Before the city of Huntington was incorporated, the location was known more for its virgin timber and its grassy fields than the city that would come to occupy it later. In the 1820s, several local farmers constructed a one-room log cabin that was named the Mount Hebron Church that was used for worship. It was also used as a school during the winter months. In 1837, the farmers decided upon a more substantial school. It was petitioned to the
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 161 ...
which passed on March 13, 1838.
[Brown, Lisle, ed. "Marshall Academy, 1839." Marshall University Special Collections. 1 Sept. 2004, 20 Dec. 200]
It was named Marshall Academy after
John Marshall
John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the fourth Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remains the longest-serving chief justice and fourth-longes ...
who had died in 1835; he was a friend of
John Laidley
John Laidley (1791–1863) was a prominent Virginia lawyer and politician.
Laidley was born in Morgantown, (West) Virginia and at age twenty-one served as a militia Colonel in the War of 1812.
As an adult, Laidley made his home in Cabell Coun ...
, a leading proponent for the school.
In 1839, a two-story brick building was constructed at Maple Grove.
The classroom building also featured a chapel. It hosted its first classes in 1838, although the building was not completed until March of the following year. In 1854, an addition was planned for the west side of the structure, along with a third floor for the original two-story structure.
[Brown, Lisle, ed. "Marshall Academy, 1856." Marshall University Special Collections. 1 Sept. 2004, 20 Dec. 200]
The new addition would be three stories tall and include a chapel. Construction began two years later, however, due to a lack of funds, only the first floor chapel was completed in the addition, and the third floor addition had not been started.
Funding issues and the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
halted the construction of the western addition and the third floor until 1867 after the state of
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
took control of the college from Virginia.
Just three years later, another addition was completed on the west side; a veranda was also constructed that ran the entire length of the structure.
In 1897, the 1839 building was demolished because the three interconnected structures had become too small.
[Brown, Lisle, ed. "Marshall Academy, 1896." Marshall University Special Collections. 1 Sept. 2004, 20 Dec. 200]
New building takes shape
In 1895, appropriations were passed for the construction of a new structure.
The new building, designed by Architects Frank E. Davis and Henry R. Davis of
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, was constructed in fourteen months; it was accepted on November 23, 1896 by the Board of Regents. It was named the "College Building" upon completion. The new three-story "College Building" was built seventy-five feet west of the original Maple Grove complex. Its most distinguishing feature is the large brick tower that contained an observation platform at the top.
In late December 1897, the new female dormitory, "Normal Hall", was completed; it was accepted by the Board of Regents the following year. It was then titled "Ladies Hall" followed by College Hall.
[Brown, Lisle, ed. "Marshall Academy, 1898." Marshall University Special Collections. 1 Sept. 2004, 20 Dec. 200]
After the 1898 building and its attachment to the 1870 building was completed, it still remained separated from the 1896 building.
In 1899, the "Annex" addition from 1870 and the building constructed in 1896 were combined;
the easternmost section of the 1896 building was demolished to make room for the new structure. In 1906, a western extension of Old Main was completed. This required the removal of the large bell tower that had once stood in the 1870 addition.
In March 1905, additional monies were appropriated for the construction of a new structure.
[Brown, Lisle, ed. "Marshall Academy, 1907." Marshall University Special Collections. 1 Sept. 2004, 20 Dec. 200]
Called "University Hall," the western attachment to the 1896 building included a commencement hall, eight recreation rooms, five restrooms, two cloak rooms, a study hall, library and gymnasium. Construction began in July 1905 when demolition began on the western tower if the 1896 building. The addition was completed in 1907.
In 1937, the building, which had no official name prior, was coined Old Main in a Marshall College catalog. In 1973, Old Main was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites.
See also
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Buildings at Marshall University
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Cityscape of Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia's central business district is located to the south of the Ohio River, east of the Robert C. Byrd Bridge, and west of Hal Greer Boulevard. Broad avenues and streets dominate the streetscape, creating for the most part ...
*
Marshall University
Marshall University is a public research university in Huntington, West Virginia. It was founded in 1837 and is named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States.
The university is currently composed of nine colleges: ...
References
External links
Old Main at Marshall UniversityOld Main at Marshall University's Virtual Museum
{{Marshall University
Marshall University
Buildings and structures in Huntington, West Virginia
Marshall University
Marshall University is a public research university in Huntington, West Virginia. It was founded in 1837 and is named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States.
The university is currently composed of nine colleges: ...
Collegiate Gothic architecture in West Virginia
National Register of Historic Places in Cabell County, West Virginia