Page 93 - UB Church and Shen Univ
P. 93
Volume 6 Relation of U.B/EUB Virginia Conferences to Shenandoah University Dec. 26, 2013
students, the University decided to build a parking garage adjoining the new student center, so all
students and guests could access the building easily for the many services located within the facility.
The University built covered parking with 260 spaces and brick façade, placed behind the new student
center. The parking facility was popular and attractive, and it prevented having to pave over a larger
portion of the campus. The garage was designed to be free of charge to any user and also was to be part
of the total parking spaces for the faculty, guests, staff, and students. In snowy weather, the garage
proves to be very popular, and it provides convenient parking for events held in the Ferrari Conference
Room.
Landscaping. The addition of the Brandt Student Center and the parking garage left a large area
behind both structures and adjoining the soccer field that needed to be landscaped. Suzanne McKown,
who had headed the Landscaping Committee for the campus for almost 15 years expressed interest in
helping to create the McKown Plaza with landscaping walls, sidewalks, armillary, trees, and flowers.
The plaza was delayed because it was originally part of the contract for the construction of the Student
Center, which was delayed by the bankruptcy of Ricketts Corporation. The new contractor for the plaza,
Aikens Construction Company, completed the project on the same schedule as the Student Center. It
now provides a beautiful location for outside events and receptions. This project was a crowning
achievement for the landscaping group that Dolly Glaize started in the 1980s and that Mrs. McKown
had continued for more than two decades. The members of the Landscaping group dedicated hours and
raised thousands of dollars from private sources to beautify dozens of locations on the campus. The
overall beautification of the campus has evolved over 30 years and hundreds of trees, hundreds of
shrubs, and dozens of garden areas were landscaped to achieve the beauty that exists today.
One of the most difficult tasks in beautification of the campus that the President undertook was
the Dayton Alumni Bridge for pedestrians across Abrams Creek between Smith Library and
Ohrstrom/Bryant Theatre. The project started when the president met a bridge builder at a transportation
conference and learned he could buy a ready-made steel bridge for the project for $25,000. However,
once installation was started, permits from the Corp of Engineers and Flood Plan requirements of the
City added another $100,000 to the cost of the project for engineering studies, flood studies, footers,
sidewalks, and landscaping. It took more than a year to gain all the approvals, raise financial support,
and guide the support staff responsible for working with the contractors on the project.
Naming the project as Dayton Bridge seemed an excellent way of merging Dayton Alumni with
Winchester graduates, since it was located near the “kissing rock” that had been moved from Dayton to
Winchester. To that end, a Cuban-American graduate of College and Vice-President of Riddlebarger
Brothers in Dayton, Pablo Cuevas, gained approval to remove the rock from the owner of the property in
Dayton where the old campus had been located and hauled the large 4-ton rock to Winchester. Legends
noted that many Shenandoah students had found their future mates while kissing at the secluded rock
during their Dayton years at the college/conservatory. The new garden along Abrams Creek on the
Winchester campus, with the kissing rock and the new Dayton Bridge, are beautiful reminders of the
early heritage of the University.
Church Professions Institute. A commitment on the part of the University and its leaders to
The United Methodist Church was always evident with the “cross and flame” prominently displayed on
the Goodson Chapel, which had been named for the late Kenneth Goodson, Bishop of the Virginia
Conference. However, the University’s commitment to the Church as its founder goes much deeper as
evidenced in the work of many fine U.B., EUB, and United Methodist chaplains who have served the
institution. Also, several presidents served in leadership roles in the Virginia Conference throughout the
Davis on History of S.C., 1982-2008 83
students, the University decided to build a parking garage adjoining the new student center, so all
students and guests could access the building easily for the many services located within the facility.
The University built covered parking with 260 spaces and brick façade, placed behind the new student
center. The parking facility was popular and attractive, and it prevented having to pave over a larger
portion of the campus. The garage was designed to be free of charge to any user and also was to be part
of the total parking spaces for the faculty, guests, staff, and students. In snowy weather, the garage
proves to be very popular, and it provides convenient parking for events held in the Ferrari Conference
Room.
Landscaping. The addition of the Brandt Student Center and the parking garage left a large area
behind both structures and adjoining the soccer field that needed to be landscaped. Suzanne McKown,
who had headed the Landscaping Committee for the campus for almost 15 years expressed interest in
helping to create the McKown Plaza with landscaping walls, sidewalks, armillary, trees, and flowers.
The plaza was delayed because it was originally part of the contract for the construction of the Student
Center, which was delayed by the bankruptcy of Ricketts Corporation. The new contractor for the plaza,
Aikens Construction Company, completed the project on the same schedule as the Student Center. It
now provides a beautiful location for outside events and receptions. This project was a crowning
achievement for the landscaping group that Dolly Glaize started in the 1980s and that Mrs. McKown
had continued for more than two decades. The members of the Landscaping group dedicated hours and
raised thousands of dollars from private sources to beautify dozens of locations on the campus. The
overall beautification of the campus has evolved over 30 years and hundreds of trees, hundreds of
shrubs, and dozens of garden areas were landscaped to achieve the beauty that exists today.
One of the most difficult tasks in beautification of the campus that the President undertook was
the Dayton Alumni Bridge for pedestrians across Abrams Creek between Smith Library and
Ohrstrom/Bryant Theatre. The project started when the president met a bridge builder at a transportation
conference and learned he could buy a ready-made steel bridge for the project for $25,000. However,
once installation was started, permits from the Corp of Engineers and Flood Plan requirements of the
City added another $100,000 to the cost of the project for engineering studies, flood studies, footers,
sidewalks, and landscaping. It took more than a year to gain all the approvals, raise financial support,
and guide the support staff responsible for working with the contractors on the project.
Naming the project as Dayton Bridge seemed an excellent way of merging Dayton Alumni with
Winchester graduates, since it was located near the “kissing rock” that had been moved from Dayton to
Winchester. To that end, a Cuban-American graduate of College and Vice-President of Riddlebarger
Brothers in Dayton, Pablo Cuevas, gained approval to remove the rock from the owner of the property in
Dayton where the old campus had been located and hauled the large 4-ton rock to Winchester. Legends
noted that many Shenandoah students had found their future mates while kissing at the secluded rock
during their Dayton years at the college/conservatory. The new garden along Abrams Creek on the
Winchester campus, with the kissing rock and the new Dayton Bridge, are beautiful reminders of the
early heritage of the University.
Church Professions Institute. A commitment on the part of the University and its leaders to
The United Methodist Church was always evident with the “cross and flame” prominently displayed on
the Goodson Chapel, which had been named for the late Kenneth Goodson, Bishop of the Virginia
Conference. However, the University’s commitment to the Church as its founder goes much deeper as
evidenced in the work of many fine U.B., EUB, and United Methodist chaplains who have served the
institution. Also, several presidents served in leadership roles in the Virginia Conference throughout the
Davis on History of S.C., 1982-2008 83
