Woodburn Circle

Woodburn Circle, also known as W.V.U. Quadrangle, is part of the downtown campus of West Virginia University; it's located at Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. The circle, in reality a quadrangle grouped around an oval path, is an historic and distinctive architectural assembly of three collegiate buildings, which evolved in the late nineteenth century. In chronological order these are Martin Hall, Woodburn Hall and Chitwood Hall. However, it's the largest of the buildings, Woodburn Hall, that is best known and a symbol of the university.The circle's Martin Hall is West Virginia University's oldest campus building and was constructed in 1870 as University Hall, and renamed Martin Hall in 1889. The circle's centerpiece, what is now Woodburn Hall, was finished in 1876, under the name New Hall. The circle finally became complete with the addition of Chitwood hall in 1893.Woodburn Circle was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.Woodburn HallWoodburn Hall, first known as University Hall, is the central and dominating building of Woodburn Circle. It was built between 1874 and 1876, and like its neighbor, the earlier Martin Hall, is in a predominantly red brick Second Empire style building under a mansard roof. It is considered one of the finest examples of Second Empire architecture in the State of West Virginia.Designed by Morgantown architect Elmer F Jacobs, the building is of four floors; the first being a pale stone rustic, contrasting with the red brick above, and the third: an attic floor contained within the mansard roof. The principal facade is dominated by an Italianate central belvedere tower surmounted by a square based dome, which since 1910 has contained the Seth Thomas clock, originally in the cupola of Martin Hall. Secondary flanking wings, also designed by Jacobs, extending the facade, and two further towers were built between 1900 and 1911.