Located in the rural town of Prairie View, Texas, Prairie View A&M University -- or PVAMU, for short -- is a historically black university (HBCU) founded in 1876.
The university officially opened in 1878 as the “Alta Vista Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for Colored Youth”, when the Alta Vista Plantation -- a cotton plantation located on the campus’ current grounds -- was deeded to the state. It was for many years the only publicly funded historically African American college in Texas, and time after time survived the political and economic oppression of African American educational institutions that occurred in Texas from the Reconstruction Era through much of the 20th century. All full historical accounting of the university is available for further reading on the
Texas State Historical Association website.
PVAMU’s campus has several historic buildings, some of which were designed by renowned African American architects who studied and later taught at the university. Seven of these buildings -- all built around the first half of the 20th century -- were ultimately nominated and recognized by the NRHP for their historic and architectural significance throughout their tumultuous periods. As best described by the original April 21, 1999 NRHP
Nomination Submission form:
“[…] Fieldwork in the summer of 1997 identified only seven (out of 89 catalogued in 1936) extant historic resources associated with the campus. […]. Built using masonry construction techniques, they typically rise one to three stories in height on generally rectangular plans. Block massing and symmetrically composed facades predominate, with partial basements and entry focal points providing formal design elements. Finish materials historically included brick, cast stone and tile detailing, asphalt shingles and generously proportioned wood fenestration. Varying stylistic influences, specifically ornamentation drawn from the Classical Revival, Collegiate Gothic and Modern styles of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, reveal the involvement of architects throughout the period of significance. Historic settings typically provided generous green spaces dotted with native oak trees and low scale vegetation around each building. A network of concrete sidewalks and entry stairs evolved during the period of significance to connect campus facilities. Remodeling over the years resulted in changes that generally respect the historic character of these resources. Typical changes include construction of new wings to accommodate growth on campus, alteration of fenestration materials to improve energy efficiency and reconfiguring of sidewalks and entries to comply with [new federal] guidelines.
[…] Reflective of the primary mission of the university, [these seven] Education Buildings bespeak the development of the campus throughout the period of significance. As such they are significant for their historical associations […] in the areas of Education and Ethnic Heritage. Strong associations with significant leaders on the campus suggest nomination […] in these same areas, given a direct association between the contributions of the person and the building in question.”
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Originally built in 1945 -- although stamped as “1946” on its NRHP plaque -- the W.R. Building (a.k.a. “Building #0508”, located on L.W. Minor St.) was up until 1988 the university’s first and only library. It is a 3-story Modern Movement (“Moderne”) brick structure displaying a few minor exterior details, and was named after
Willette Rutherford Banks, the educational institution’s 7th principal who is closely associated with PVAMU’s emergence as full-fledged University. As best described in the original nomination submission form:
“During Willette Rutherford Banks' tenure as principal (1926-1947), Prairie View began to resemble a true institution of higher learning. Ever in search of alternative funding sources, Banks sought financial assistance from private philanthropists, state government and federal agricultural agencies. The increasing number of buildings on campus and the growing college curriculum reflect Banks' efforts. The school added a classroom building, a greenhouse, an incubator house, a hospital, three apartment buildings for male teachers, three dormitories for women including Annie Laurie Evans Hall (1928), Hilliard Dining Hall (1939), a National Youth Administration resident center, the W.R. Banks Library (1945), and more than 60 cottages for faculty families. In 1930 the school discontinued the Senior Academy, thereby removing the last trace of secondary curriculum, and renamed the Division of Education the College of Arts and Sciences. Organized in 1937, the Division of Graduate Study offered Master of Science degrees in agricultural economics, rural education, agricultural education, school administration, supervision and rural sociology. Banks also started the law, engineering, pharmacy, and journalism departments and secured faculty scholarships. In addition, Prairie View achieved "a doubtful 'A' rating from the Southern Association of Colleges in 1934" when Banks was principal. After years of pressure from the African American community for a black University of Texas, the 49th Legislature changed Prairie View Normal and Industrial College to Prairie View University in 1945 and authorized the school to offer the same courses as the University of Texas, as the need arose.”
The building served as a library until 1988 when it got replaced by the nearby new John B. Coleman Library; it currently houses the Mathematics and Social Work departments as well as the university’s Office of Financial Services. Some old pictures of the original library can be found on the following
PVAMU website, which also includes some old photographs of
Willette R. Banks himself.