The Architectural Ages of Christopher Newport University: Introduction

(Left two images courtesy of the CNU Archives)

The campus of Christopher Newport University (formerly Christopher Newport College) has gone through immense changes since its inception. Many current students walk its pathways with no idea what the buildings or landscape used to look like. In this series, I want to shed light on that by sharing the whole architectural history of campus, where it started, how it evolved, and how it became the campus of today.

I have divided this series into five different architectural ages of time. What am I defining an "architectural age" as? A period where a series of buildings follow similar trends, be it a style, an architect, a continuous shift, or consistent actions taking place. For each age, I will provide a list of all the buildings constructed and major additions/renovations during that time, a description of the architecture, the landscaping, naming practices, and extra facts I found interesting. In later ages, I will add a section on zeitgeist vs. cohesion in the campus architecture, but more on that when we get to it.

Like any look into the past, trends only appear in hindsight, so it is possible they might or might not have been intentional at the time. But I will write them as best as they appear to be.

My main focus is covering the architecture that was built for the college. Buildings that were bought and used by the institution, such as the John W. Daniel School building, Barclay/Greek Row/CNU Crossing, Commonwealth Hall, Warwick Motel, Crestar/BTC/SunTrust/CNU North, Ferguson High School (pre-Performing Arts renovation) will not be covered. They are part of the conversation, yes, but moreso as a collective influence rather than as individual buildings.

As someone who first stepped onto the campus in 2010, there are plenty of buildings I never experienced, or only experienced after they had been significantly altered. Through archival photos, I have tried to get a sense of what it was like and how things have evolved. However, there is no substitute for actually experiencing a place in person. If I am completely off-track or missing a very important piece of the puzzle, my sincerest apologies and please let me know!

Land Acknowledgements: The lands that Christopher Newport College and University stand on were originally those of the Kecoughtan peoples, part of the Powhatan Chiefdom.

Prior to Christopher Newport's ownership, much of the land had been settled by an emerging Black neighborhood. Through eminent domain, the City of Newport News took the land from these homeowners.

Now, let's get to it!

Next: CNU Architectural Ages: Age One (1964 - 1976)