The centerpiece of Bethany's historic campus founded in 1840, Old Main hosts numerous academic programs, concerts, convocations, and campus functions; its Commencement Hall (1871) has been the site of addresses by several U.S. Presidents, including Garfield, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, as well as other national and international dignitaries.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and renowned as one of America's finest examples of collegiate Gothic architecture, Old Main was constructed in 1858, replacing the original college building which had burned the previous year. The design of Old Main was in two phases: "Society Hall," the east wing which served the literary societies and their libraries and later became the Earl W. Oglebay Hall of Agriculture, and the second wing (Commencement Hall), completed after the Civil War, which functioned over the years as a chapel, gymnasium, dormitory, and auditorium.
Today the building houses numerous classrooms, seminar rooms, laboratories, faculty and administration offices, as well as Commencement Hall; the second-floor Academic Parlour where lectures, receptions, and special gatherings are held; the Trustee Board Room, and the Trustee Hall of Fame Room. Restoration from 1976 through 1984 included roof and exterior work, restoration of Commencement Hall, installation of the Alumni Walk in front of the building, and renovation of classrooms, the Academic Parlour, and the Office of the President. The Kirkpatrick Hall of Life Sciences (formerly the Oglebay Hall of Agriculture) was dedicated in 1999 after millions of dollars in renovations, and in 2000-2001, the upper section of the Tower of Old Main was removed, restored, and returned to the Tower.
To ensure its continued use as a viable structure in the heart of campus and its role as the signature structure of Bethany College, Old Main preservation is a priority amid ongoing, campus-wide evaluation of the condition, usage, and efficiency of all College facilities.
To ensure its continued use as a viable structure in the heart of campus and its role as the signature structure of Bethany College, Old Main preservation is a priority amid ongoing, campus-wide evaluation of the condition, usage, and efficiency of all College facilities.
