Brick from Hampton University

ca. 1874

Virginia-Cleveland Hall was one of the first buildings on campus.

Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute (now Hampton University) was founded in 1868 by the American Missionary Association. Students raised funds to build Virginia-Cleveland Hall—one of the first buildings on campus. It was designed by esteemed architect Richard Morris Hunt and constructed on the banks of the Hampton River. Over the decades the building has housed classrooms, dormitories, administration offices, and a chapel. Virginia-Cleveland Hall represents the institution’s long history and affirms their school motto: “The Standard of Excellence, An Education for Life.”