Wood-Mar Hall is George Fox University’s “Old Main,” and has played a dominant role with the university and the surrounding city of Newberg. Built in 1910 and opened in 1911, it is the tallest building on campus and the most visible to the general public.
For many years, it functioned as the majority of the college. So commanding was its presence and so central was it to campus life, that at one time Wood-Mar Hall was the university’s identity logo, used on college letterhead stationery and publications.
At three stories tall with a distinctive spanish-style brick exterior, Wood-Mar Hall stands above the rest of campus as one of the only two buildings at George Fox University that remain from the beginning years of the University.
It owes its existence to Newberg residents – specifically two Newberg women who led a campaign for its construction. Longtime Friends Amanda Woodward and Evangeline Martin canvassed the Newberg countryside in horse and buggy, raising funds. The building’s name honors their leadership.
Immediately upon the building’s opening, the third-floor auditorium became the community’s cultural center with recitals, plays, concerts, lectures, and debates.
Decades later, it continues to fulfill that function, assisted by a major renovation in 1994. The first and second floor were originally the college center with classrooms, library, and faculty and administrative offices. Over the decades, all classrooms were turned to administrative offices and service areas. Renovation in 2002 restored the period look of the main floor. Today, Wood-Mar Hall houses George Fox University’s Engineering Department classrooms and administrative offices.
FUN FACT: When the building opened in 1911, The Crescent student newspaper sold pictures of Wood-Mar Hall, 2 for 5 cents
