The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

Beech Forest

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Institution Name: Virginia Wesleyan College
Original/Historic Place Name: Beech Forest
Location on Campus: southeast campus (1584 Wesleyan Dr., Norfolk, VA 23502)
Date(s) of Construction:

n.d.	natural landscape

Designer: not applicable
Type of Place: Landscape site
Style: (Glossary)
Significance: history, landscape
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Function:

ca. 2004-present (2006)

outdoor space (site for biological/ecological study)

Narrative:
Beech forest is an old-growth hardwood forest which gives a glimpse into past forest conditions in the tidewater region. It is several acres of mature hardwoods, with a very tall canopy and an undisturbed understory, making it a sustainable ecological system. Suggesting the pre-colonial appearance of the area, the forest is a unique and beautiful part of the campus.

Beech forest is important to the history of the college because the land which is now the campus was formerly a farm. Though in the course of the construction of the campus the beech forest area was reduced, recent construction plans have been modified so as to preserve the large area remaining.

References: