History
The university was founded by American Baptists in 1865 to educate freedmen following the Civil War. Donations from people such as Judson Wade Leonard and Jacob Estey assisted in developing the college's growing campus. Estey donated money for construction of Estey Hall, first in the nation built for the education of African-American women.
Leonard Hall held classrooms. A 34-bed medical dormitory and a 25-bed hospital were constructed next to it, the latter in 1910. The medical school complex was used to train Christian physicians serving African Americans. Prominent faculty members at the medical school included Kemp B. Battle, Jr., son of President Kemp P. Battle of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Wisconsin I. Royster, great-uncle of Wall Street Journal editor Vermont C. Royster.
Leonard Hall served as a medical school until 1918, when financial problems arose from rising costs associated with implementing recommendations of the Flexner Report on Medical Education for curriculum, research and medical equipment. During its 36-year history, the school graduated nearly 400 physicians, most of whom provided critical services to underserved populations throughout the South. After the medical school closed, Leonard Hall continued to serve as a classroom building until 1986 when a fire destroyed the roof.
In 2000 a $3.6 million grant from the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Fund and corporate donations resulted in the building's restoration. The historic facility is now used for classes and administrative offices. In 2006 the North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program installed a plaque to mark the location of Leonard Hall.
Read more about this topic: Leonard Hall (Shaw University)
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