Martha Washington College - Virginia Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Originally built in 1832 as a private residence for General Francis Preston, The Martha Washington Inn has seen many different uses. From private residence it evolved into a finishing school for young ladies. When the armies of the Civil War battled in and around Abingdon, the building served as a hospital for wounded soldiers, and romantic stories of nurses and soldiers still endure to this day. After the Civil War The Martha became a women’s college and today is an elegant hotel, paying homage to its gracious Southern roots and enduring historic legacy.
Source/Credit: The Martha Washington Inn

The text of the historic marker reads:

MARTHA WASHINGTON COLLEGE
"The McCabe Lodge No. 56, Independent Order of Odd Fellows decided in 1853 to establish a women’s college named after Martha Washington. The Holston Conference of the Methodist Church assumed control of the project by 1858. That same year the conference purchased the General Francis Preston House (ca. 1832) to house the college. In 1860, the first classes were held at Martha Washington College. Several additions were made to the college’s main building over the next 70 years. The school merged with nearby Emory & Henry College in 1918. In 1921 Martha Washington became a junior college but closed in 1931. In 1937, the former main college building was converted into the Martha Washington Inn."

Marker Number: K-56 Marker Title: Martha Washington College Marker Location: Lee Highway and College Street County or Independent City: Abingdon Web Site: [Web Link] Marker Program Sponsor: Department of Historic Resources - 2000

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