WVU revives Woodburn Hall lighting, illuminating legacy of higher ed in West Virginia

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As dusk settles over the Monongahela River valley on December 2, a crowd of students, faculty, alumni, and families will gather at a place where West Virginia University began, where the institution’s history, architecture, and spirit converge. Just after 6:30 p.m., beneath a tower long considered the university’s most recognizable symbol, the lights of Woodburn Hall will glow once again.

The return of the Woodburn Hall Lighting Ceremony marks the revival of a seasonal tradition cherished by generations of Mountaineers. But this year’s celebration carries added layers of meaning. It reconnects the modern campus with the 19th-century origins of WVU’s academic core, situated around the historic Woodburn Circle.

“Traditions define us as Mountaineers,” University President Michael T. Benson said in announcing the event at Morgantown. “There is no university holiday tradition that matches the lighting of Woodburn Hall. Our friends at Huntington and Northeast Natural Energy understand the importance of bringing people together to build community and create memories during the holiday season and all year long.”

A Ceremony Rooted in Community

This year’s program begins at 6 p.m. with festivities on the Circle’s open green, followed by the lighting ceremony at 6:30 p.m. President Benson will be joined by nine-year-old Kinsey Wolfe, a WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital patient from Tunnelton. Wolfe, accompanied by her parents, Justin and Sara, and her three siblings, will help flip the switch that brings Woodburn’s tower and façades to life.

Community partners The Huntington National Bank and Northeast Natural Energy are underwriting the lighting and will offer hot cocoa and cookies to attendees — a nod to the longstanding warmth and nostalgia associated with the event.

“For many of us at Huntington, the lighting of Woodburn Hall is something we remember experiencing as college students,” said Chad Prather, president of Huntington’s West Virginia Region. “For some of our colleagues, it is even one of their childhood holiday memories. Traditions draw communities together in purpose and spirit. It is an honor to help bring this tradition back.”

Mike John, president and CEO of Northeast Natural Energy and a member of the WVU Foundation Board of Directors, said the company is equally proud to support the revival.

“Reestablishing the tradition of the lighting of Woodburn Hall is a truly magical event for our team, for the community, and for Mountaineers everywhere,” John said. “Woodburn Hall is an iconic and historic building. We have many proud WVU alumni among our families who have enjoyed this holiday tradition. We are honored to help illuminate the university and our community for years to come.”

Lighting an Architectural Icon

In preparation for the ceremony, WVU Facilities Management crews began installing lights Nov. 14, with work scheduled through Nov. 29. For many on the project team, it's an emotional renewal of campus identity.

“My team is so proud to be part of the university’s return to a holiday tradition,” said Adam James, construction manager for WVU Planning, Design and Construction and the project’s lead. “We’re all part of the University community, and this high-visibility project — which will shine for all to see — is one we take personally.”

March-Westin and Pittsburgh-based Three Rivers Lights are collaborating on the installation, which is part of a wider campus-beautification initiative under Benson’s direction.

But the ceremony also provides a moment to reflect on the layers of history and symbolism embedded in Woodburn Hall and its companions on Woodburn Circle — Martin Hall and Chitwood Hall — which form the oldest academic ensemble at West Virginia University and one of the most architecturally significant clusters in the state.

The Historic Heart of the Campus

Woodburn Circle sits slightly elevated above University Avenue, its sweeping lawn framed by architecture that predates most of Morgantown’s modern skyline. The three-building ensemble — Martin Hall (1870), Woodburn Hall (1876), and Chitwood Hall (1893) — represents the earliest surviving academic core of the university.

The circle’s origins trace to the Woodburn Female Seminary, founded in 1853 by the Reverend John R. Moore and his wife, Elizabeth. At a time when educational opportunities for young women were limited, the seminary quickly became a regional landmark.

During the Civil War, the site briefly hosted Confederate troops passing through Morgantown in 1863. According to local accounts, Elizabeth Moore offered the soldiers bread, butter, and coffee — a gesture historians credit with helping preserve the property. After the war, the seminary grounds were donated to the new State of West Virginia. On Dec. 4, 1868, the state legislature formally established the Agricultural College of West Virginia on the site, which would soon be renamed West Virginia University.

In February 1873, the original seminary building burned, clearing the way for the construction of the architectural trio that still anchors the campus.

Martin Hall: The Beginning of the Modern University

Completed in 1870 for $22,855, Martin Hall is the oldest academic building on campus and the first monumental structure erected by the university. Built in the Second Empire Eclectic style, it features a stone foundation, slate mansard roof, and an octagonal cupola topped with an onion-shaped dome. Stone quoins accent its corners, and its window designs — rectangular with bowed tops on the first floor and circular-headed with keystones on the second — show the era's stylistic ambitions.

Martin Hall symbolized the young state’s commitment to higher education, rising at a time when West Virginia was still recovering from the upheaval of the Civil War. It represented permanence, statehood, and aspiration.

Woodburn Hall: The Signature Silhouette

Woodburn Hall, begun in 1874 and completed in 1876 at a cost of $41,500, quickly became the emotional and visual center of the university. The central tower — capped with a clock and cupola — gives the building its unmistakable profile. Its slate mansard roof, bracketed cornice, pedimented dormers, and stone foundation embody the high style of late-19th-century academic architecture.

Its north and south wings, added in 1900 and 1911, completed the showpiece that generations of students would come to identify as WVU's face.

To this day, Woodburn Hall serves as both a landmark and a symbol. Its illuminated tower, visible from much of downtown Morgantown, functions as a beacon — a reminder of the institution’s past and its place in the broader story of American land-grant education.

Chitwood Hall: Completing the Circle

Built in 1893, Chitwood Hall rounded out the Circle as enrollment grew and academic needs expanded. The three-story brick building, constructed in common bond, features brick quoins, a hand-carved stone archway at its entrance, and a wrought-iron balcony. Its hipped slate roof and dormers echo the architectural themes of its neighbors, creating a cohesive grouping unmatched elsewhere in the state.

Together, the buildings form one of the finest surviving examples of 19th-century academic design in West Virginia. The Circle’s raised lawn, uniform materials, and circular plan help distinguish it from surrounding structures, isolating it visually as a coherent historic ensemble.

A Symbol of West Virginia’s Educational Evolution

Beyond their striking architecture, the Woodburn Circle buildings tell the story of the university’s early development and of higher education in the young State of West Virginia.

The site’s transformation from a women’s seminary to a land-grant institution reflects shifting priorities in post-Civil War America. With the passage of the Morrill Act, the nation sought to create accessible public universities that would teach agriculture, engineering, and practical sciences to a broader population.

WVU’s establishment in 1868 marked a turning point. The construction of Martin, Woodburn, and Chitwood halls over the following decades documented the university’s growth from a small, postwar college into a major educational force. Today, Woodburn Circle stands not just as a historic district, but as a symbol of the university’s mission and identity.

A Tradition That Illuminates the Past and Future

With the Woodburn Hall Lighting Ceremony returning this season, many see the event as more than a festive gathering. It is an homage to the university’s origins and its community spirit.

Benson said the campus beautification initiative — of which Woodburn’s relighting is an early feature — is part of an effort to reinforce both pride and continuity.

“We look forward to bringing the entire community together to celebrate the joys of the season,” Benson said. “Let’s Go!”

For alumni, the ceremony serves as a reminder of winter evenings spent walking across the Circle, framed by the glow of the tower that anchored their college experience. For current students, it represents a connection to the generations that preceded them. For the Morgantown community, it is a celebration of a campus that has shaped the city’s identity for more than 150 years.

And for the hundreds who will gather on Dec. 2, bundled in scarves and winter coats, sipping cocoa while the lights blink on, the moment may feel timeless. As Woodburn Hall shines over the historic green, the past and present will meet once more, illuminating the heart of West Virginia University.

A Guided Look at the Architecture of Woodburn Circle

While the Woodburn Hall Lighting Ceremony spotlights West Virginia University’s most recognizable building, the event also renews attention on one of the state’s finest surviving ensembles of 19th-century academic architecture—Woodburn Circle. The trio of Martin Hall, Woodburn Hall, and Chitwood Hall encapsulates nearly 50 years of architectural evolution as WVU grew from a small post–Civil War land-grant college into a modern university.

Martin Hall (1870): A Statement of Ambition

Martin Hall set the architectural tone for the early campus when it opened in 1870. Designed in the Second Empire style, the building features hallmark elements of the period—a slate mansard roof, stone quoins, pedimented dormers, and an octagonal cupola crowned with an onion-shaped dome. Its brick walls, laid in running bond, sit atop a sturdy stone foundation. Even in its early years, Martin Hall expressed a message of permanence and ambition in a state still rebuilding from the Civil War.

Woodburn Hall (1876): WVU’s Signature Silhouette

Begun in 1874 and completed in 1876, Woodburn Hall brought a more sophisticated academic style to the campus. Its tall central tower, capped by a clock and cupola, remains WVU’s most recognizable architectural feature. The building’s design, with its bracketed cornice, pedimented dormers, and arched first-floor windows, reflects the national trend toward grand, symmetrical academic structures. The additions of the north and south wings in 1900 and 1911 enhanced the building’s presence and reinforced its role as the university’s visual centerpiece.

Chitwood Hall (1893): Unifying the Circle

Constructed in 1893, Chitwood Hall completed the architectural trio that defines the Circle. Built of brick in common bond, Chitwood features a hand-carved stone archway at its entrance, topped by a wrought-iron balcony. Its hipped slate roof, accented by dormer windows, echoes the vocabulary of Martin and Woodburn Halls. The result is a harmonious, unified ensemble despite the differing construction dates and architectural influences.

A Cohesive Historic Landscape

What distinguishes Woodburn Circle is not only the individual buildings but their collective effect. Arranged around a circular green at a slight elevation above University Avenue, the structures form a visually distinct historic precinct. Their uniform brick materials, slate roofs, and ornamental detailing create one of West Virginia’s strongest examples of cohesive 19th-century academic design. Today, the circle continues to serve as both the symbolic and functional heart of the university—a rare landscape where architecture, history, and institutional identity intersect.