Article "Columbia: Gem of the Old Campus"

Article "Columbia: Gem of the Old Campus"

This article summarizes the history of "Old Columbia" (then called the Columbia building), which was the first building established as a part of the University of Richmond. The building was made for the Virginia Baptist Seminary as a space to move from Spring Farm in rural Henrico County to a community closer to Richmond City. The Columbia building served a multipurpose use: it housed students, the dining hall, the chapel, the President's house, several of the professors (after the Seminary had converted to Richmond College), and served as a Confederate hospital during the Civil War. The first president of Richmond College, Robert Ryland, pastor of the First African Church, used the Old Columbia building for his congregation's weddings. The article briefly mentions life from the perspective of the Seminary alums: "scantily furnished" rooms, an "abundant" amount of limited food choices, and torn clothing.

p. 7, 12, 20

Alumni Bulletin, University of Richmond

Winter 1966

English

RG 6

Virginia Baptist Historical Society