List of Washington & Jefferson College buildings

The modern campus of Washington & Jefferson College is located in the City of Washington and the East Washington Borough, small-town communities about south of Pittsburgh. The 60-acre (0.24 km2) campus is home to more than 40 academic, administrative, recreational, and residential buildings. Portions of the campus extend into the East Washington Historic District. Four historic gates mark four traditional entrances to campus at East Maiden Street, Wheeling Street, South College Street, and Beau Street. The South College Street gate marks the western entrance to campus, and was built in 1948 by members of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the fraternity's founding at Jefferson College in 1848. In 1947, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission installed a historical marker noting the historic importance of the college. ==Academic buildings==

Old Main The main academic building on campus is Old Main. It is the predominant building on campus. The towers appear on the college seal, in a stylized version. The college fundraising operation founded "The Old Main Society" in 1996 to recognize individuals who utilize planned giving. The building's configuration has changed considerably since its construction in 1850, when it became the second building on the campus on Washington Academy. history, religious studies, and political science. The office of the College Chaplain, called the "Pastor's Study," is on the ground floor and was used as a main setting for the 1993 George A. Romero film, The Dark Half. Room E contains one of the college's computer labs. The campus' Office of Protection Services is headquartered in Old Main. McIlvaine Hall The building later known as McIlvaine Hall was home to the Washington Female Seminary prior to its acquisition by the college in 1940, when the Seminary closed permanently. It was built in 1897 by Pittsburgh-based female architect Elise Mercur Wagner who supervised every facet of its construction. After the college purchased the brick building with a limestone foundation, it was renamed after Judge John Addison McIlvaine, an 1865 graduate of Jefferson College. The portico was modeled after the portico of Mount Vernon. The chime room, containing the 26-note Stephen Collins Foster Carillon, was given to the college by the Women's Auxiliary of Allegheny County on Founder's Day in 1937. In the 1980s, the chime system was replaced by a cassette system. McIlvaine was demolished in summer 2008 to make room for the new Swanson Science Center. Old Gym The Old Gym is an historic athletic training center and gymnasium, currently housing the Swanson Wellness Center, a modern exercise facility featuring cardiovascular, resistance, and strength training equipment. The building also features a three-lane indoor track suspended above the main floor. The exterior is Cleveland sandstone. The white-painted brick structure was constructed in the American colonial architecture style in 1847 by Alexander Reed, a college trustee, who used it as his residence. It was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. In 1939, it was acquired by the college and used as a dormitory for 33 students. A duplicate of the original cast-iron fence currently surrounds the building. It was home to the Department of Physics until moving to the Swanson Science Center in 2010. The building contained four teaching laboratories, three research labs, lecture rooms, and a fully equipped machine shop. and as of 2024 the land remains vacant. Lazear Chemistry Hall The Lazear Chemistry Hall was constructed in the Georgian style between 1939 and 1949. It was designed by Frederick Larson and was named after former student Jesse William Lazear, who helped develop the cure for yellow fever. The door to the Troutman Library on the first floor of Lazear holds the original doorknob from Tara, the main plantation house from the 1939 movie Gone with the Wind. It was donated to the college in May 1940 by the film's producer and Pittsburgh native David O. Selznick, who had family in the Washington area. was built in 1981 and totals in size. The building was named after two longtime Professors who were largely responsible for establishing the college's scientific reputation, Dr. Clarence D. Dieter and Dr. Homer C. Porter. The building also contains a library, which contains a study lounge, work space, and a meeting room. It was renovated in 2007 by the Phi Sigma biology honor society, who provided new paint, carpet, and furniture. During the winter, the plants are illuminated by timed electric lights. In 2008, the Biology Department (and the college) was awarded a $1 million programmatic grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a portion of which will be used to help establish bioinformatics lab space in Dieter-Porter. The building will be renovated as part of the Science Initiative, which has already constructed the Swanson Science Center. It also houses classrooms and the Department of Art, Theatre, and Communication, and the Department of Music. Funding for its construction in 1982 was provided by the F. W. Olin Foundation, as well as the Eden Hall Foundation. It was home to the Vilar Distinguished Artist Series from 1999 to 2003. Andrew Druckenbrod, classical music critic for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, said, while reviewing a 2003 performance of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, that the "downside is that multipurpose Olin is not nearly equipped to handle such a group, either in stage size or acoustics. But cramped environs, blinking lighting and inadequate reverberation didn't deter the youthful orchestra from a deft performance." Mark Kanny, classical music critic for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, said, while reviewing a 2001 performance of Valery Gergiev conducting the Kirov Orchestra, that "the [small] size of Olin actually added to the effectiveness of the concert. The music was heard in a more intimate environment and had more impact." The Burnett Center A granite and limestone building, The Burnett Center anchors the northeastern border of campus. It houses the Departments of Economics and Business, Modern Languages, and Education, as well as the Yost Auditorium, an 84-seat lecture hall. The four seminar rooms, located in the tower structure of the left side of the building, feature 16-seat octagonal tables. The building was completed in 2001 at a cost of $12.8 million. It is named after Howard J. Burnett, who served as president from 1970 to 1998. Technology Center The Technology Center houses the Information Technology Leadership program. All told, it houses over 200 instructional computers for use by the Information Technology Leadership and related classes. The building was formerly known as the Vilar Technology Center, in honor of alumnus Alberto Vilar, who had pledged $18.1 million to construct the building. After he reneged on that pledge in 2003, the building was renamed the Technology Center and plans for its completion were scaled back. It is the sister building to The Burnett Center, sharing the same architect and general contractor. Swanson Science Center The newest building on campus is the John A. Swanson Science Center, which was completed in February 2010. It was named after John A. Swanson, an engineer and businessman on the Board of Trustees, who donated $10 million towards its construction. Its learning facilities include wet and dry teaching laboratories, faculty and student research laboratories, and a multi-disciplinary lab designed for non-science majors. It was designed to satisfy the LEED Silver qualifications for green buildings. The effort to place the marker there was led by Washington & Jefferson College English professor, and Harding descendant, Dr. Jennifer Harding. ==Residence halls==

Hays Hall The first residence hall at Washington & Jefferson College was Hays Hall. The architectural work on that building was performed by Frederick J. Osterling and it was named after President George P. Hays. Construction was completed in 1903 and the new "fireproof" building was opened to Washington & Jefferson Academy students. After a total renovation in 2007 and replacing the windows in 2008, it now houses upper-class women. Originally known as Kimm House, it houses roughly 25 upper-class females. 2008 renovation project expanded and redesigned the bathrooms, upgraded the electrical system, and installed sprinklers. It was renovated in 2008 to improve the bathrooms, upgrade the electrical system, and to install sprinklers. Built in 1968, they were originally called the Residential Center, then The Quads. Fraternities, and then sororities after 1970, were early occupants. In March 2025, the college announced it would be renaming Lincoln Hall, which was named for Abraham Lincoln to 1970 Hall. The renaming of both Harrison and Lincoln Halls sparked outrage among the student body. New Residence Hall and Bica-Ross Hall New Residence Hall and Bica-Ross Hall are sister dormitories, featuring suite-style living arrangements. New Residence Hall provides 24 living units, each with a common area, two single rooms, and a double room. It was constructed in 2002, with the 4th floor completed in 2004. Bica Ross was constructed on the site of the former Trinity Episcopal Church, which had been surrounded on 3 sides by college property, making it a virtual part of the campus. In 1998, the college purchased the church's building, including the rectory and parish house, for $1.55 million. The buildings are designed to look more like homes, rather than dorms, with front porches and living rooms. When they were constructed in 2005, all 10 were intended to serve as "theme houses," for groups of like-minded students who share common social or academic interests. Marshall Hall was built in 1969 and is named after Elder W. Marshall, former president of the board of trustees. It is a co-ed facility with a suite-style floor plan. During the 2009–2010 academic year, it housed 128 both first year and upper-class coeducational students. is similar to Alexander and Marshall, but is built in a "U" shape with two separate wings. During the 2009–2010 academic year, it only housed women. North Hall was a freshman men's dormitory, but is currently unused. It was originally the chapter house of Phi Gamma Delta, before the fraternity moved to their new residence on Chestnut Street. It was renovated in the summer of 2006. ==Administrative buildings==

McMillan Hall The oldest building on campus is McMillan Hall, which was built in 1793 and served as the only building for the old Washington Academy. It is the eighth-oldest academic building in the United States that is still in use for its original academic purpose, and is the oldest surviving college building west of the Allegheny Mountains, which was considered part of the American frontier during the Colonial period. It has undergone significant changes and expansions since its construction, with the addition of two large wings and a front portico. and the Office of the President. The college's ceremonial mace is carved from the original wooden pillars. In 1977, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register described the building's architecture as achieving a "unique quality and charm from the fact that vernacular builders selectively borrowed Georgian, Roman Classical, Adamesque, and other European Renaissance architectural forms, elements, and details and combined them in the builder's own esoteric way." The National Register described its historical importance as a "unique variation of a Western Pennsylvania stone building," calling it "irreplaceable on a regional or national level." It contains a mahogany-paneled study, a parlor with a fireplace, and a walnut-paneled dining room, all used for alumni activities. During the final exam period, student use these facilities as a quiet study area. President's House The President's House is a 17-room Victorian mansion where the College President resides. It was built in 1892 by the Duncan family, of Duncan glass fame. Funds for its construction were provided by William R. Thompson of Pittsburgh's in honor of his mother. In addition to the college's holdings and those of the various literary societies, the library held the Walker Room, a room with fine furnishings, Tiffany lamps, and John Walker's personal library of 5,000 volumes. Before being renovated in 2007, it was known as the ITS Building. With its origins tracing back to a donation from Benjamin Franklin in 1789, the collection currently holds 210,000 volumes. The Archives and Special Collections contain significant holdings of historical papers dating to the college's founding. The Walker Room contains the personal library of prominent industrialist John Walker, complete with all of his library's fixtures and furniture, installed exactly how it had been during Walker's life. The building is connected to the Rossin Campus Center by a bridge. It is named after former trustee Pete C. Rossin and was built in 1994. During the planning stages in 1991, the college asked the City of Washington to close South Lincoln Street between East Maiden and East Chestnut Street and reroute the traffic through College Street, which would have been made into a two-way street. The college was concerned about the increasing frequency of accidents between pedestrians and automobiles on that street, pointing to a recent incident involving an injured maintenance worker and the fact that there had been 6 other similar accidents in the previous 15 years. The building, which is connected to the Commons via a bridge, contains rooms designed for meetings, events, seminars, and conferences. and George & Tom's Place. The Rossin Ballroom is a multi-purpose space that can be used for dances, banquets, performances. Behind the mail room is a common area with pool tables and other activities for students. == Other buildings ==

A chapel had existed on North Lincoln Street. ==Athletic facilities==

The first athletic facility at Washington & Jefferson was the Old Gym. Originally a fairground, it was developed into a proper athletic field after the discovery of oil on the grounds. It was renovated in 1999 and rechristened Cameron Stadium after the addition of an all-weather track, the installation of a FieldTurf football field, and renovated grandstands and media facilities. The natatorium, a six-lane, 25-yard pool, with depths ranging four to seven feet deep, hosts the men's and women's swimming and diving teams as well as the men's and women's water polo squads. The adjacent Janet L. Swanson Tennis Courts, first built 1955 and renovated in 2001, are home to the tennis teams. The softball team plays at Brooks Park, which was extensively renovated in 2004. The Ross Memorial Park and Alexandre Stadium is a combined multi-purpose outdoor athletic facility for the baseball and soccer teams. At of FieldTurf playing surface, the facility was the home of the largest continuous artificial playing surface in the world at its completion in 2004. ==Buildings in Canonsburg==

The original college building, John McMillan's Log School was built in 1780 near Chartiers. The original cabin was destroyed by fire, but rebuilt by McMillan in the late 1780s. This log school has been preserved and is located beside the middle school in Canonsburg. The first Jefferson College building in Canonsburg was the Stone College Building, which was constructed on land donated Colonel John Canon. It was built in 1832. The name was suggested by Moses Allen, who was President of the Board and the son-in-law John McMillan, the college's founder. Four dormitory buildings, called "Forts," housed Jefferson students: Fort Ballantine, Fort McClelland, Fort Hunt, and Fort Armstrong. Two other buildings were constructed on campus, including a College President's home that was demolished in 1938 to build the Canonsburg Armory, and another home built in 1815 that housed college presidents and professors that was demolished in 1966. ==See also==