The Davis & Elkins Historic District

The Davis & Elkins Historic District was established in 1996 by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It includes four buildings associated with the history of the campus and the Davis and Elkins families. To view historic and modern photos of each building, click on the link in the menu to the left.

Graceland Inn and Robert C. Byrd Conference Center, comprising Graceland mansion and Allen Hall, opened in July 1996. Graceland is a stone mansion that was completed in 1893 as the summer home of Senator Henry G. Davis. It was named for Davis’s younger daughter, Grace. The mansion is constructed of native timbers and granite in the Norman French style of architecture. Windows were designed by workmen from Tiffany’s; a tiled fireplace, surmounted by a wooden mantle supported by Corinthian columns, is a dominant feature on the first floor.

Enjoyed by two generations of the Davis family, the mansion was acquired in 1941 by the West Virginia Presbyterian Educational Fund, and in 1945, the building and immediate grounds were presented to Davis & Elkins College. Until 1970 it was used for student housing. It has been completely restored and is now operated as a country inn and restaurant, both of which are open to the public.

Graceland contains the Erickson Alumni Center and is a National Historic Landmark. Students majoring in Hospitality Management have educational experiences in this beautiful example of the Victorian style. For more information, visit the Graceland Web site at www.gracelandinn.com.

Halliehurst Hall, built in 1890 by Senator Stephen B. Elkins, was donated to the college in the 1920s by Mrs. Hallie Davis Elkins and has long been a center of social activity for both the college and the city of Elkins. Halliehurst was completely restored in the 1990s and is now a National Historic Landmark. The offices of the President, the Vice President for Advancement—including alumni relations, development and communications—and the Vice President for Enrollment Management—including the Admissions staff—are located in this magnificent example of Victorian architecture.

Constructed of native hardwoods and stone, Halliehurst’s turreted design was patterned after a Rhineland castle that Mrs. Elkins admired. New York architect Charles T. Mott added such fashionable features as lapped siding, cut wooden shingles, hipped slate roofs, and sprawling porches. Interior features include rich oak paneling, beaded trim work and massive fireplaces framed in marble with hand-carved wooden mantelpieces.

The Icehouse is a cylindrical structure of stone that was originally built in the late 1800s by Senator Stephen B. Elkins as a place to store ice in the summer. It was refurbished in 1969 and is now a campus pub.








The Gatehouse, perhaps the most familiar of all campus buildings because of its welcoming location at the main college entrance, was built in the late 1800s as a gatekeeper/caretaker’s residence. The house, unique with witch-hat towers and leaded glass windows, has a medieval look and feel. Today, the small historic structure provides accommodations for visiting scholars, artists, alumni and parents.