A BRIEF HISTORY OF WASHINGTON AND LEE - Society for ...

WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITYLEXINGTON, VIRGINIAmaster plan provided for new athletic fields and a new auditorium;remodeling of the major academic buildings, a faculty alumni club, anamphitheater and arboretum, restoration of the Memorial Entrance, anew perimeter road and parking, and facilities for expanded utilitiesserving the campus. As part of this plan, the Student Union buildingof 1936 was renovated by Clark, Nexsen and Owen of Lynchburgand became known as the Early-Fielding University Center. 29In 1961 Lee Chapel was designated a National Historic Landmarkand underwent an extensive restoration, funded by Ford MotorCompany; at the same time, the museum was renovated. In1970 the campus at Washington and Lee was listed as a HistoricDistrict and in 1973 the campus received recognition as a NationalHistoric Landmark as part of the Lexington Historic District, whichincorporates the towns major historic areas and includes the campusof Virginia Military Institute. Building types range from the earlyShenandoah Valley vernacular forms through sophisticated examplesof Romantic Revivalism constructed after a fire destroyed much ofthe wood and log fabric of the town. The buildings at Washingtonand Lee recognized as part of the National Register Historic Districtinclude the core of the Washington and Lee campus: the Colonnade,Lee Chapel, Lee House, Lee-Jackson House, Morris House, GilliamAdmissions House, Reeves Center, and Alumni House. 30In 1972 the most ambitious plan for Washington and Lee campusdevelopment was undertaken. A ten-year, two-phase developmentprogram saw the expansion of the 1904 plan across the WoodsCreek Valley back to Liberty Hall. In 1972, the School of Law beganaccepting women students. It is possible that at this time lights wereadded to the bridge across Woods Creek. Further work completedunder the 1972 plan included the construction of Lewis Hall,the new Law building, renovation of Newcomb Hall and TuckerHall, the conversion of the old library to the School of Commerce,the Woods Creek Apartments (1975) built along the ridgeoverlooking Woods Creek, an access road, a maintenance complexand additional athletic fields (see fi gure 17). Lewis Hall was the firstmodern building constructed at Washington and Lee Universitycampus. As forecasted, Marcellus, Cox, and Smith completed thismaster plan in 1982.29Physical Planning at Washington and Lee University Status Report,July 1968 [W&L Archives]; Come Cheer for Washington and Lee: TheUniversity at 250 years, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA,1998.30Calder Loth, Ed. The Virginia Landmarks Register, Charlottesville, VA1987.2-22