On August 5th, 1889, Robert Lee Madison began teaching in an unpainted building with only a few
long benches and a blackboard. This building, which was known as the Normal School,
was located between the present university steam plant and Breese Gymnasium. The Liberty
School building in Jackson County was knocked down and rebuilt as a back wing to the
Cullowhee Academy Building.
“Old” Madison, a multi-purpose building with classrooms, an auditorium, and offices,
was completed in 1904. The first building on campus purchased with state funds, the
timber and stucco structure cost $6,989 and was constructed by the Sylva Supply Company.
“Old” Madison was located up the hill behind the other two buildings and housed the
normal department until the construction of Joyner in 1913, when it was repurposed
as the boys’ dormitory. Old Madison was home to the Madison bell tower which would
ring every day. Wooden stoves heated the building until 1910 when the first steam
plant started operating. Old Madison was torn down in 1930 and replaced by the new
Madison building around 1939.
In 1909, the school’s first dormitory was built at the top of the hill above the Old
Madison building. It was opened for women in the fall of 1909 but was not occupied
until 1910, when only one woman lived in the entire building. The Davies Home was
torn down between 1950-51 and replaced by Reynolds in 1953.
Upon its 1910 construction, the Old Steam plant consisted of one boiler. The boiler
arrived to Sylva by train, and was transported to Cullowhee by a team of oxen.
In 1913, during A.C Reynolds’ second year as the school’s President, the Joyner building
was completed. Replacing Old Madison as the center of campus life, Joyner was filled
with classrooms, literacy society rooms, a large multi-purpose room, book room, a
small library, and an administrative office. Up until 1952, Joyner housed the only
library on campus. The building unfortunately burnt down in 1981.
In 1923, the new Steam Plant was completed and turned on, but not fully functioning
until 1924. The Steam plant still stands today after multiple renovations and is the
oldest building on campus.
Completed alongside the new Steam Plant in 1923, the Training School served as the
county’s public school for 16 years. The normal school students used the Training
School to practice their teaching skills. The Training School was torn down prior
to the construction of Brown Cafeteria in 1960.
In 1924, the Moore Dormitory was completed and occupied by 180 women, and in 1929
the west wing was completed. The building was dedicated by President Madison to Walter
E. Moore on May 30, 1924. Madison stated in a 1924 edition of the Cullowhee Yodel,
the school’s first newspaper, that the girls’ dormitory was a “three-story fireproof
brick building with ninety rooms, completely furnished, to take care of 180 girls.”
Moore was equipped with a family style dining room which moved from the Davies Home
to Moore. The dorm also had a reception hall and reading rooms. The Little Caesar
statue that stood on the lawn in front of Moore was donated by a class in the 1930s.
In 1958, Little Caesar was removed by the school’s rivals (Appalachian State Teachers
College) and eventually returned in a messy state. After many years of renovating
and repurposing the building, Moore is now being repurposed to house WCU's English
and Criminal Justice departments.
In 1929, the school purchased the land where the Mount Zion AME Zion Church stood
with plans for a new dormitory. After three years of negotiating, the congregation
moved the church and the graveyard to its present location on the old Cullowhee road
with some financial support from the university. The dormitory known as Robertson
was constructed and a memorial plaque marks the original location of the church.
The school began excavating for Robertson dormitory in November, 1929. Robertson was
completed in 1930 but was not occupied until 1931. The dorm was dedicated on June
3, 1931 to Reuben B. Robertson, the college’s board chairman. Robertson is now home
to 80 undergraduate students on three floors, with double occupancy rooms and a private
bathroom and kitchen. Robertson Dormitory is also home to Ƶapp
EMS students.
In 1937 construction began on Breese Gymnasium funded in part by the Works Progress
Administration. The 144 ft. x 88 ft. structure is made of stone quarried near the
college, with each block cut by hand to accurately fit the building. Breese Gymnasium
had an indoor swimming pool, basketball court, showers, lockers, offices, and two
classrooms. Today, Breese is home to WCU’s Dance program.
The Western Carolinian announced on December 19th, 1938, that “Dirt starts flying Monday morning.” The building was completed in 1939
and was home to the student government, clubs, and publications. Today the building
is still standing and is used by the student radio station.
When completed in 1939, the training school’s new home was named the Gertrude Dills
McKee Building. Gertrude was the first women elected to the state senate, and a two-term
member of the college board of trustees. McKee housed the Cullowhee grade school and
was a place for students attending the college to practice their teaching skills.
The building now houses the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, History, World
Languages, Social Work, Cherokee Studies, and Forensic Anthropology.
Constructed in 1939 on the site previously known as Town House Field, University Auditorium
was built with 900 seats and included a basement with classrooms, studios, and practice
rooms for the music department. The building was originally named in honor of North
Carolina Governor Clyde R. Hoey. It was renamed University Auditorium in 2020. Built
to be an assembly hall, in 1988 University Auditorium was remodeled into a 700 seat
theatre with dressing rooms, lobby benches, and a box office, as well as a rec room
and two additional offices. Today University Auditorium is used for productions of
the School of Stage and Screen.
This building was dedicated to Dr. Frank Graham, President of the University of North
Carolina, in 1939. Ernest Bird stated that the building had “a central office, a consultation
room, living quarters for the head nurse, and other conveniences necessary in a small
college infirmary” (Bird, p. 194). Graham was closed in 2003 when the Bird Administration
Building became WCU’s Health Center. The building was vacant for a number of years
and was torn down in 2018.
In 1939 Madison replaced Old Madison and became a dormitory for men. The dorm became
a female dormitory years later and can accommodate up to 132 students. Today Madison
is co-ed and is home to many of Ƶapp's graduate students.
Edited By: Justine Dale, BA History (2018), Zach Wise, MA History (2026), Sam Underwood,
BA English (2026)
With thanks to Special Collections, Hunter Library, Ƶapp.