- City:
- Blacksburg, VA
- Site Type:
- Colleges and Universities, Education and Health
- New Deal Agencies:
- Public Works Administration (PWA), Public Works Funding, Work Relief Programs, Civil Works Administration (CWA)
- Started:
- 1934
- Completed:
- 1936
- Contractor:
- J. A. Jones & Company
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
Burruss Hall serves as the main administration building for what was then the Virginia Polytechnic and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Sometimes mis-attributed to the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the building, originally called the Teaching and Administration Building, was constructed with a grant from the Public Works Administration (PWA) from 1934-1936. The Civil Works Administration (CWA) was involved with the project as well. It contains a 3,003-seat auditorium that is still widely used. The ceiling and walls of the auditorium were decorated with geometric designs as part of the project. In addition to the original building, two wings and a rear addition have been added.
The contract for building construction was awarded to J. A. Jones & Company for $343,700 in Nov. 1934. Burruss Hall was completed as part of a broader $1.2 million project that resulted in the construction of four buildings on the V.P.I. campus at that time: PWA Docket No. VA 1790.
Source notes
https://www.archive.vtmag.vt.edu/spring06/retrospect.html
"Jones Awarded Work at V.P.I.," The Richmond News Leader: November 9, 1934 (pg. 25): https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/759731439/
Site originally submitted by James Bohland on February 4, 2013.
Additional contributions by Evan Kalish.
At this Location:
- Virginia Tech: Squires Student Center - Blacksburg VA
- Virginia Tech: Armory - Blacksburg VA
- Virginia Tech: Graduate Life Center - Blacksburg VA
- Virginia Tech: Eggleston Hall - Blacksburg VA
- Virginia Tech Development - Blacksburg VA
- Virginia Tech: Military Building - Blacksburg VA
- Virginia Tech: Airport Expansion - Blacksburg VA
- Virginia Tech: East Campbell Hall - Blacksburg VA
- Virginia Tech: Owens Hall - Blacksburg VA
- Virginia Tech: Seitz Hall - Blacksburg VA
- Virginia Tech: Agnew Hall - Blacksburg VA
- Virginia Tech: Hutcheson Hall - Blacksburg VA
- Virginia Tech: Smyth Hall - Blacksburg VA
- Virginia Tech: Commerce Hall (demolished) Remodeling - Blacksburg VA
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It actually seats 3,003 not 300
Thanks for pointing this out! We’ve made the correction.