Walters House (Morgantown, West Virginia) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Walters House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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The house from Willey Street
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 Location in West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 221 Willey St., Morgantown, West Virginia |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 83003246 |
| Added to NRHP | August 18, 1983 |
The Walters House, also known as the Walters Residence, is a historic home located in Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. It was built around 1900-1901. This house is a brick building designed in the Queen Anne style. It has a cool three-story tower on its southeast side, topped with a fancy metal railing.
We don't know who the architect was. For many years, it was a single-family home. After 1931, it became a boarding house (where people rent rooms), a fraternity house (a social club for college students), and even offices. Today, it is the home of the Morgantown Chabad Jewish Center. The Walters House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 because of its historical importance. It is also part of the Downtown Morgantown Historic District, which was listed in 1996.
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Where is the Walters House?
The Walters Residence is located just outside what used to be the original city limits of Morgantown. However, Morgantown grew and expanded its borders around the time the house was built. Back then, wealthy families still lived in large homes right in the downtown area. They had not yet moved to the fancy suburbs that were developed later.
A Look Back: History of the House
The Walters House has had many different owners and uses over the years. It has been a family home, a place for students, and even a center for community groups.
Early Owners: Walters and Fling Families
In 1899, William E. Glasscock, who later became the governor of West Virginia, sold the land to Mary S. Walters. The house was built while Mary owned the property, sometime before 1902. When Mary S. Walters passed away in 1913, her family inherited the house.
Later, in 1920, Ona Fling bought the property. City records show that other people, like a church rector and a college fraternity, lived there before Ona Fling. Ona Fling lived in the house from about 1920 until she died in 1931. In her later years, she started renting out rooms in the house. After Ona Fling's death, her family continued to rent out the property. It was used as a boarding house and by college fraternities like Sigma Phi Epsilon and Tau Kappa Epsilon. By 1945, one of Ona's family members, Elsie Fling Price, was living there and also renting out rooms. In 1951, Elsie and the other family members sold the house to Ivan M. and Ades Shahan Bowers.
Becoming a Campus Ministry Center
In 1965, the Bowers family sold the house to the Trinity Episcopal Church of Morgantown. The church then rented the house to college students. Around 1971, the church leased the building to the University Christian Council (UCC). The UCC was a new group that brought different Christian faiths together to support students on campus. The UCC used the first floor, while students continued to live on the upper floors.
The University Christian Council was part of a bigger movement to unite different Christian groups in campus ministry. This movement was very active at West Virginia University in the late 1960s. In 1969, their campus center was named the Bennett House. This was to honor Thomas Bennett, a student who was a conscientious objector (someone who refuses to fight in wars for moral reasons). He was sadly killed in Vietnam while serving in the Army Medical Corps. He was later given the Congressional Medal of Honor, a very high award, after his death. When he was a student, Thomas Bennett was a leader in the campus Christian movement and cared a lot about social causes. At its busiest, the campus ministry center included ministers from many different Christian churches.
In the late 1900s, many campus ministers in Morgantown were involved in helping students with social issues. A group called the Women's Information Center started in 1971 and operated within the campus ministry until the early 1990s. This center offered support for women and programs on women's issues.
However, the Trinity Episcopal Church did not agree with some of the activities of the University Christian Council, especially the Women's Information Center. Because of these disagreements, the UCC moved out of the Walters Residence in 1979. The UCC first moved to another building and then to the Rogers House, where it has been located since 1984.
New Chapters: Law Offices and Chabad House
In 1981, the Walters Residence was sold to a company called SGB, Inc. An office for lawyers and accountants, Stone, Gallagher, and Byrne, opened there in 1982. SGB, Inc. also rented out the upper floors and basement to students.
In 2004, the property was sold to Benton Financiers Inc. They then sold it to Chabad of Morgantown Inc. in 2014. The Chabad Jewish Center of Morgantown was started in 2007. They now use the Walters Residence as their Chabad House. It is one of many Chabad centers located on college campuses across America.
