{"nrhp_refnum":"79003044","name":"Randolph-Macon College Buildings","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Randolph-Macon College campus","address_restricted":false,"city":"Ashland","county":"Hanover County","state":"VA","lat":37.76070536000003,"lon":-77.47941009699997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-06-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 4.5-acre complex of three brick college buildings on the southwest corner of the Randolph-Macon College campus in Ashland, Hanover County, Virginia: Washington-Franklin Hall (1872), Pace Lecture Hall (1876) and Duncan Memorial Chapel (1879).","why_significant":"They were the first brick buildings erected after Randolph-Macon College moved from Boydton to Ashland in 1868. The college, chartered in 1830, is described as the oldest Methodist-related college in the United States still in operation. The buildings were designed by two Virginia architects and illustrate the eclectic architecture of the 1870s, with two Italianate buildings and a Gothic Revival chapel forming a small late-Victorian campus ensemble.","narrative":"Three brick buildings on the southwest corner of the Randolph-Macon College campus in Ashland record the school's early years after it moved from Boydton in 1868. Washington-Franklin Hall (1872) and Pace Lecture Hall (1876) are Italianate, designed by B. F. Price of Alexandria; Duncan Memorial Chapel (1879) is Gothic Revival, designed by Richmond architect William West. Washington-Franklin Hall was funded largely by students, Pace Hall by a donation from Richmond tobacconist and banker James B. Pace, and the chapel honored college president James A. Duncan. The buildings replaced the converted resort hotel the college first occupied, and they contrast in style while sharing scale and materials. Old oaks and maples planted informally still fill the space between them. Pace Hall now houses art studios, the chapel serves as a theatre, and Washington-Franklin Hall is deteriorated and awaits renovation. Together they form a small late-Victorian collegiate group on a 4.5-acre site.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"B. F. Price (Alexandria); William West / W. W. West (Richmond)","architectural_style":"Italianate and Gothic Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Washington-Franklin Hall is deteriorated, with its first floor collapsed and openings blocked by plywood, and extensive renovation is planned. Pace Hall serves as art studio and classroom space, and Duncan Memorial Chapel has been converted into the college theatre.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:56.543913-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/71/6811/41681171/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/79003044.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79003044/4dcbd07652-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79003044/4dcbd07652-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"JERRYE &amp; ROY KLOTZ MD","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RANDOLPH_MACON_COLLEGE_BUILDINGS.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">JERRYE &amp;amp; ROY KLOTZ MD</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RANDOLPH_MACON_COLLEGE_BUILDINGS.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"83003284","name":"Ashland Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/ashland-historic-district-83003284/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41681171","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randolph%E2%80%93Macon_College","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7291901"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/hanover-county/randolph-macon-college-buildings-79003044/"}