National Register of Historic Places

Mayfield, Will, College Campus

Marble Hill, Bollinger County, Missouri
Listed
January 14, 2013
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
12001176

About this property

Will Mayfield College was a Baptist school located in Marble Hill, Missouri. From 1878 to 1934, the college offered four years of preparatory school and two years of junior college work. Will Mayfield was founded by William Henderson Mayfield and Dr. H. J. Smith as the Mayfield-Smith Academy in Smithville (now Sedgewickville) in Bollinger County. It was governed by the St. Francois Baptist Association. In 1880, the college was moved to the county seat at Marble Hill; the first building was completed in 1885. Historically known as the Administration Building, it was also used for classrooms, chapel and auditorium space. Significant additions designed by L. Baylor Pendleton were constructed in 1909 and 1924–25. The original section of this brick building is typical of two-story, four room educational buildings. The name of the school was changed in 1903 to Will Mayfield College in honor of William Henderson Mayfield's son, Will, who was a graduate of Mayfield-Smith Academy and who had died the previous year at the age of 20. The Arts and Science Building is a two-story brick building with raised basement has Classical Revival details and was constructed in 1924-1927 from plans by L. Baylor Pendleton. Will Mayfield College permanently ceased operations in 1934 due to financial reasons. The Bollinger County Museum of Natural History operated on the grounds of the college from 1988 to 2022, when it closed due to a lack of funds caused by the pandemic. When it was open the museum featured dioramas of dinosaurs (including a near life size replica nest of a Hadrosaur, including the mother), as well as exhibits featuring models of native americans & white settlers and their artifacts. It also exhibited dinosaur bones & local fossils dug from the nearby village of Glen Allen which included trilobites, brachiopods, and crinoids from the Devonian and Mississippian periods. The museum also featured a rock and mineral collection. The Mayfield Cultural Center is housed in the original Administration Building and the attached chapel, with stage and balcony. The building is used as a visual and performing arts space and is also available for use as a banquet facility for weddings and special occasions. Both the museum and cultural center are projects of the Will Mayfield Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)3 non profit organization. The Arts and Science Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The remainder of the campus was added in 2012.

Location

207 Mayfield Dr.
Marble Hill, Bollinger County, Missouri
37.31033, -89.97476

Categories

EDUCATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Mayfield, Will, College Arts and Science Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Burfordville Covered Bridge
Modern
10.2 mi
Burfordville Mill
Industrial
10.3 mi
Miller-Seabaugh House and Dr. Seabaugh Office Building
Industrial
12.9 mi
Big Hill Farmstead Historic District
Early Republic
16 mi

Questions about this property

When was Mayfield, Will, College Campus listed on the National Register?

Mayfield, Will, College Campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 14, 2013.

What type of historic resource is Mayfield, Will, College Campus?

Mayfield, Will, College Campus is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Mayfield, Will, College Campus?

The period of significance for Mayfield, Will, College Campus is recorded as the industrial era.

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