The WVRHC is divided into multiple units: the regional history collection, the rare books collection, and other special collections.&nbsp;The Center is best known for its&nbsp;Archives and Manuscripts department. These&nbsp;collections include personal, family, and business papers, most of which have a direct connection to the history of&nbsp;West Virginia and central&nbsp;Appalachia. It also includes the University Archives. These materials include more than 4,000 collections that include records and&nbsp;material related to WVU's administration faculty, athletic teams,&nbsp;and student organizations. The Center maintains a&nbsp;Rare Books Collection.&nbsp;Among the rare books of great significance in this collection&nbsp;are William Shakespeare's Four Folios and&nbsp;the Nuremberg Chronicle of 1493. The collection also&nbsp;includes historic first prints by leading American&nbsp;authors from Jane Austen to Charles Dickens. The collection&nbsp;also includes historic prints of many of&nbsp;the first books of history and literature that were&nbsp;printed in Virginia and the counties that presently make up the state of&nbsp;West Virginia. The Center dates back to 1930, when the University Library accepted the responsibility of preserving the papers of Senator Waitman T. Willey, a founding father of West Virginia.&nbsp;The library's collection has grown from these humble&nbsp;beginnings,&nbsp;now&nbsp;including over&nbsp;20,000 linear feet of personal papers, photos, pamphlets, business records, and more. The digital collection includes&nbsp;multiple terabytes of digital content, books, microfilm, audio recordings, and more.&nbsp; The West Virginia and Regional History Center hosts changing exhibits and also permanent display cases of objects and works of art. One work of art on display in the reading room is&nbsp;&nbsp;Justice Guarding the Sleeping World by&nbsp;David Hunter Strother, a journalist, artist, soldier, and diplomat. Born in September 1816 in Martinsburg, Strother painted this piece&nbsp;in 1843, during a three year journey to Europe, in which he found himself in a frenzy of artistic activity, producing nine paintings in 12 months. These three years were crucial to the life of Strother, as he yearned for a better understanding of the European artist he hoped to imitate. The painting depicts a sleeping family: a man, a woman, and their baby as a woman sits watch over them. The image creates a sense of understanding that justice looms over this world as its fated guardian. Strother, also going under the pseudonym ‘Porte Crayon,’ would go on to serve in the Union Army during the Civil War, where he would fight in over thirty battles. Strother would spend the rest of his days in West Virginia, where he would die at the age of 71 in Charles Town.<div><div></div></div>

Located on the sixth floor of West Virginia University's Wise Library, the West Virginia and Regional History Center offers the largest collection of materials related to the history of West Virginia and central Appalachia. The center is open to the public and offers a library, manuscript collection, collects, preserves, and provides public access to materials that show the history and culture of West Virginia and the central Appalachian region. 

The library reading room is surrounded by published books about West Virginia history. This represents only a small portion of the library's collection. 

West Virginia and Regional History Center, WVU Libraries

As the turn of the nineteenth century approached, West Virginia University administrators recognized a dire need for a new library building. The original WVU library occupied a small space on the second floor of Martin Hall and was described by the university’s sixth president, Jerome Hall Raymond, as, “a hopeless tangle” where, “the books were not arranged but simply placed upon the shelves anywhere where space allowed.” Raymond’s disappointment with the library's condition was exacerbated by the fact that university departments maintained their own libraries meant for professors’ personal use. These disparate collections often contained books that were already in the central library. Furthermore, the floor in Martin Hall could no longer support the growing number of books and visitors, which presented a safety risk. In 1899, Raymond secured funding from the State Legislature for several new buildings. A competitive auction for architectural plans was held and the Wilson Brothers and Company of Philadelphia was awarded the contract for Stewart Hall, the Armory, and the Mechanical Building – though the latter buildings were razed in the 1960s to make room for the Mountainlair. The Wilson Brothers designed a grand building constructed in a Romanesque Revival style. This style is characterized by wide rounded arches, rustication, and simple expansive planes. Stewart Hall's axial plan is reminiscent of Romanesque churches and the tower near the front entrance serves to further emphasize this association. Construction of Stewart Hall began in 1900. The Caldwell &amp; Drake firm based out of Parkersburg, WV oversaw the erection of the building. The structure was completed in 1902 with a total cost of slightly more than $100,000 – approximately $3 million adjusted for inflation. It is built with a concrete frame covered in roughhewn Amherst sandstone blocks. The roof is tiled in red shingles. The interior of the building features a large arcaded rotunda, which originally housed the card catalog and circulation desk. While a visually pleasant space, the rotunda tended to funnel noise towards the reading and reference rooms adjacent to it. Stewart Hall served as the library from 1902 to 1931, when the design flaws and lack of space caused the library to be moved to the newer Wise Library. Stewart Hall was converted into administrative offices, a function it maintains to this day. In 1972, Stewart Hall was renamed from University Library in honor of WVU’s thirteenth president, Irvin Stewart (served 1946-1958). His administration was responsible for creating the West Virginia University Foundation, Medical Center, and Evansdale Campus. The addition of Armstrong, Hodges, Brooks, and Eiesland Hall to the downtown campus also occurred under Stewart's leadership. Stewart Hall has been restored several times. In 1979, the interior was stripped of accumulated decoration that detracted from the original design. This renovation also returned the rotunda closer to its original open plan. In 1992, the S.E.M. Architectural Firm and the General Preservation Corporation restored the exterior of the building under the supervision of architect Dellas H. Harder. In addition to its role in WVU’s history, Stewart Hall stands as one of the largest and most authentic Romanesque Revival buildings in West Virginia.

Stewart Hall was built between 1900 and 1902 to replace the second floor of Martin Hall as West Virginia University’s library. When the Wise Library was completed in 1931, Stewart Hall became the administrative offices for the university, a role it still serves today. Originally known as University Library, the building was renamed to Stewart Hall in 1972 after Irvin Stewart, a successful and longtime WVU president. Its architecture is an emblematic representative of the Romanesque Revival style. Many consider Stewart Hall to be one of the finest and most authentic Romanesque Revival buildings in West Virginia.

Stewart Hall

The Core Arboretum&nbsp;owes its founding in large part to the WVU Biology Department, specifically biologist&nbsp;Earl Core.&nbsp; In the immediate postwar era, West Virginia University doubled in enrollment and put pressure on administrators and&nbsp;city planners to configure how the University would grow. Their solution was to acquire&nbsp;farmlands that later became the Evansdale campus.1&nbsp;The Biology Department and Dr.&nbsp;Core asked the University to set aside this&nbsp;area as it&nbsp;was already being used as a research and teaching space by the department. Much of this land was preserved, old growth forest due to the steep, 200-foot elevation drop that would have been impossible to farm. Originally the arboretum included the land that is now occupied by the WVU Coliseum, Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, baseball fields, and several indoor training facilities used by different WVU Teams. Today, the 91 acres of forest within the Core Arboretum is home to a wide variety of plants and animals indigenous to the region, as well as some trees that are over 200 years old.&nbsp;In addition to the Arboretum's namesake, some of the&nbsp;trails at the Arboretum bear the names of important naturalists at WVU, including the&nbsp;&nbsp;Guthrie Loop (Roland L. Guthrie, curator and professor of Biology),&nbsp;Strausbaugh Loop (Dr. P.D. Strausbaugh, former head of the Biology Department), Taylor Trail (Dr. Leland H. Taylor, former professor of Zoology), Sheldon Trail (Dr. John Lewis Sheldon, former professor of Biology)&nbsp;Melvin Brown Trail (Dr. Melvin Brown, Mineral County botanist and benefactor of WVU), Rumsey Trail (William Earl Rumsey, entomologist and botanist for WVU and the state), and Nuttall Trail (Lawrence William Nuttall, Fayette County amateur biologist).2The arboretum is famous for its annual Wildflower and Bird Watching Walks that take place every spring, where you can see over 40 different species of flowers as well as over 70 different kinds of birds. The arboretum also hosts a Pawpaw Festival every fall. In addition to these events, the arboretum boasts hiking trails and beautiful scenery that can be enjoyed in all seasons.

The WVU Core Arboretum was established in 1948 when West Virginia University purchased the land to expand the school’s campus. It encompasses 91 acres of forest and 3 miles of foot trails. It is also part of the 19-mile Rail-to-Trail that runs from downtown Morgantown to Reedsville, West Virginia. The Core Arboretum is managed by the WVU Biology Department and is located along Monongahela Boulevard next to the WVU Coliseum. These parklands and trails are open everyday from dawn until dusk. The Best College Reviews lists the Core Arboretum in the top 50 "Most Beautiful College Arboretums." 

West Virginia University Core Arboretum

Located on the Evansdale campus, the Art Museum of&nbsp;West Virginia University&nbsp;features two distinct and integrated facilities: <h4>The Art Museum</h4>In August 2015, the Art Museum of West Virginia University&nbsp;opened its doors after ten years of planning.&nbsp;Dean of the College of Creative Arts said at the dedication that the museum "put the visual arts community at WVU on equal footing with our peer institutions" and provides educational opportunities for students and children of Morgantown. President of WVU, Gordon Gee, emphasized that "preserving and&nbsp;displaying our cultural heritage is an important part of our land-grant heritage." The museum&nbsp;houses more than 3,000 works of Appalachian, American, and international art in its diverse collection. The University began collecting art without a formal exhibition space more than ten years prior to the Art Museum's opening. It holds the largest public collection of art by Modernist Blanche Lazzell&nbsp;(1878-1956), a native of Maidsville and graduate of WVU&nbsp;whom Gordon Gee called "one of West Virginia's true treasures." The Art Museum also houses collections of work by&nbsp;Albert Bierstadt, William Merritt Chase, Thomas Cole, Jean Metzinger, William Schumacher, Rockwell Kent, William Conger, and Tim McFarlane, along&nbsp;with collections of Asian and African art and&nbsp;pieces by world-renowned names&nbsp;such as&nbsp;Pablo Picasso, Francisco Goya, and&nbsp;Andy Warhol. Two galleries, with&nbsp;5,400 square-feet of exhibition space, display a sampling of this collection.&nbsp;The building was built to environmental standards for temperature, humidity, and light levels to safely&nbsp;display and store works of art. The Plevin Lobby&nbsp;of the Art Museum features a unique graffiti mural by Raoul and Davide Pierre, known as How and Nosm in the art world.&nbsp;Researchers are welcome to examine art up close in a study room, while educators and students have a classroom space available. <h4>Museum Education Center</h4>In 2010, the University completed renovation of an existing two-story building, the former Erickson Alumni Center designed by noted architect Michael Graves, to accommodate museum offices, halls for educational programs and receptions, and a gift shop. Additionally,&nbsp;an outdoor sculpture garden offers museum visitors a place to relax and contemplate works of art in a lovely setting.

Opened in 2015, the Art Museum of West Virginia University provides a welcoming and stimulating educational environment for diverse audiences to experience the transformative power of visual art. By exploring the varied artistic traditions of different cultures, past and present, visitors gain a better understanding of themselves, their communities, and their world.

Museum Education, Heather Harris (far left, seated), and others release balloons in celebration of the museum's grand opening in the fall of 2015. 

Art Museum of West Virginia University

Since the 1930s, West Virginia University
 has collected historical artifacts and archival materials from the 
mining and petroleum industries. The collecting began within the 
University’s School of Mines, which was later named the College of 
Mineral and Energy Resources (COMER). A museum, known as the COMER
 Museum, was formally organized in the mid-1980s, and the construction 
of a dedicated museum space was approved. At that time, the COMER
 Museum established its mission of “preserving and promoting the social,
 cultural, and technological history of the coal, oil, and natural gas 
industries of West Virginia through the collection, preservation, 
research, and exhibition of historical objects and archival materials.”

	The West Virginia Coal Mining Institute endowed the COMER
 Museum with a substantial pledge in 2005. As part of the endowment 
agreement, the Institute was given the opportunity to rename the Museum.
 The Institute requested that the Museum be renamed The Royce J. and 
Caroline B. Watts Museum in honor of “two individuals who have 
tirelessly supported its mission through both financial support and 
other resources.”

	Royce J. Watts, a WVU
 faculty member for over fifty years, and his wife, Caroline B. Watts, 
are long time supporters of the Museum and the state of West Virginia’s 
mining heritage. Royce and Caroline Watts spearheaded the establishment 
of the COMER Museum and made significant 
contributions towards the its growth and development. The Royce J. and 
Caroline B. Watts Museum reflects, supports, and preserves Royce and 
Caroline Watts’ dedication to West Virginia’s mining industries and 
their devotion to West Virginia University.

The Royce J. and Caroline B. Watts Museum is dedicated to preserving and promoting the social, cultural, and technological history of West Virginia’s coal and petroleum industries through the collection, preservation, research, and exhibition of historical objects and archival materials. 

The Watts Museum, located in WVU's Mineral Resources Building, helps interpret the history of industry in the state.

The Royce J. and Caroline B. Watts Museum

Although we are young the&nbsp;WVU&nbsp;Division of Forestry and Natural Resources’ Natural History Museum has already made great strides. In 2007 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Estler graciously donated to&nbsp;WVU&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://wvnaturalhistory.wvu.edu/estler_collection" title="Link: http://wvnaturalhistory.wvu.edu/estler_collection">Robert Estler Collection</a>. The Estler Collection includes about 400 taxidermied wildlife mounts. We have developed a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://wvnaturalhistory.wvu.edu/r/download/77643" title="Link: http://wvnaturalhistory.wvu.edu/r/download/77643">Museum Concept Plan</a>&nbsp;to renovate the Percival Hall Lobby into the Natural History Museum. Moreover, we have received several donations to help build the natural habitat dioramas. Currently we have funding for one diorama and partial funding for a second. However, many named still exist if we are to have enough funding to build our initial 20 displays. In the future we would like to have a fully-functional stand-alone building to house our Natural History Museum.

Our natural history museum was created in 2008 and is currently housed in classrooms 308 and 309 Percival Hall on the Evansdale Campus at WVU. We created a natural history museum for West Virginia because we believe natural history museums are critical for educating future resource managers and the general public. We also believe that natural history museums are an essential component of a comprehensive land grant institution particularly in a rural state like West Virginia where people embrace a strong connection with the land.

Gopher on display at the WVU Natural History Museum. 

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WVU Campus Art and History Trail

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