1953 named the Lynch-Raine Administration Building
“The embers of the old building had not stopped smouldering before plans were under way for the erection of a larger and better one. President Weir was out of town when the fire occurred, business having called him to Charleston. He hastened home in the spirit that the calamity of the fire must be turned into an asset by making it the rallying point for the friends of the school to achieve larger things than had yet been done”. (Haught, pages 148-151)
That determined pioneer spirit was still in evidence!
Haught goes on to say, “Dr. Trotter, who had charge of the administration of the daily program, planned it so effectively that the only interruption sustained was on the day of the fire. Saturday was a school day then and Monday was the weekly holiday. Dr. Trotter, Professor Mills, and the writer [Thomas Haught], at the request of President Weir, made a rough draft of building plans to be submitted to an architect. The contract for the erection of the building was let about May 15 and the work was begun almost at once”.
This building has gone by several names throughout the decades, never having been officially named at the beginning. The most common usage has been The Administration Building. Various other names, such as College Hall and The Hall of Liberal Arts have been used.
1906-07 it was, as seems to be customary at the school, called New College Building.
From 1908-1928 it was generally referred to as College Hall, although some pictures had the caption Hall of Liberal Arts
Beginning in 1929 it was most generally referred to as The Administration Building until the Fall Trustee meeting in 1953 when it was renamed the Lynch-Raine Administration Building for two former WVWC board presidents (Judge Charles Wesley Lynch; and lumber industry leader John Raine, founder of Rainelle, WV) who guided Wesleyan through World War I and the Great Depression. (Haught, p.148)
(1970) Stairs Sealed-Up [Pharos 1970-01-20, p.3] Those stairs that have served
since the Administration Building was first built were knocked out and sealed over to comply with the Fire Marshall’s orders. The two staircases were termed “open chimney” fire hazards. They were supposed to be closed when the outside stairs were added but it was not done until the Christmas vacation. Because this work was finished, the balcony in Atkinson is now un-condemned.