Buena Vista, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Southern Virginia University
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones, July 5, 2026
1. Southern Virginia University Marker
University
Established 1867
A National
Historic Landmark
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education • Industry & Commerce • Landmarks. A significant historical year for this entry is 1867.
Location. 37° 44.42′ N, 79° 21.097′ W. Marker is in Buena Vista, Virginia. It is on University Hill Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 University Hill Dr, Buena Vista VA 24416, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Old Court House (approx.
this page online
Also see . . . Nomination Form for the Southern Seminary Main Building.
The main building on campus, historically known as the Southern Seminary Main Building or the Buena Vista Hotel, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This nomination form was prepared by Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff in December 1971. The statement of significance begins on page 3. This citation explains its historical significance:
....The Buena Vista Company, headed by A.T. Barclay was one of the first ... companies to go into business [in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley], and as early as February, 1889, it was able to annoucne that all of its $600,000 capital stock had been subscribed. Typical of these(Submitted on July 10, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)development companies, one of the first buildings it erected was what a local newspaper described as a "Queen Anne Hotel" on a plateau overlooking the town. Such vast and often lavish hotels were built to serve the useful function of advertizing the company and providing impressive and comfortable accommodations to visitors who might be potential investors....
Following the Panic of 1893 which forced its closing, the hotel was bought by Dr. Edgar H. Rowe. Dr. Rowe was a Methodist Minister who operated the Bowling Green Female Academy, founded in Caroline County in 1867 by his sister-in-law, AliceScott Cha dler. In 1901 Dr. Rowe opened a branch of the school in the Buena Vista hotel building. With the opening of this school, Dr. Rowe formed the Southern Seminary System of Schools which consisted of the Bowling Green School, the Buena Vista school and a third school in Alderson, West Virginia. By 1907 the Bowling Green school had closed and the Buena Vista school became Southern Seminary's main institution. Through the later guidance of the Durham and Robey families, Southern Seminary developed into one of Virginia's leading preparatoryschools and junior colleges.... Today Southern Seminary's main building stands as one of the last, if not the best, examples of western Virginia's "boom hotel" architecture.
Additional commentary.
1. About the marker
While the university is not itself a National Historic Landmark, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
— Submitted July 10, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, November 23, 2012
4. Southern Seminary Main Building, Buena Vista VA, November 2012
Credits. This page was last revised on July 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 10, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 10, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on July 10, 2026.
