A Free Will Baptist college in rural West Virginia that operated from 1865 to 1895.
West Virginia College was established in September 1865 by Reverend Flavius J. Cather and other Free Will Baptists as a successor to Rector College, which had ceased operations in 1855. The institution was formally incorporated by the West Virginia Legislature on June 26, 1868, with a governing structure of 24 corporators and a board of trustees. The college provided a classical and English education to students from the region, with approximately 120 students enrolled at the time of incorporation, including 20 in the collegiate department.
Despite initial promise, West Virginia College struggled with low enrollment and financial difficulties throughout its existence. By 1876, the college had seven instructors, 31 preparatory students, and only four collegiate students. By 1880, enrollment had dropped to 38 students with just two instructors. The institution lacked an endowment and faced persistent fundraising challenges. The college ceased operations in 1895, with the final graduation ceremony held on May 17, 1894. Historian Charles Henry Ambler noted that while the college department graduated fewer than 40 students, it maintained high standards and left worthy traditions.
West Virginia College occupied a small two-story red brick building constructed with locally-made bricks to reduce costs. The building was valued at $15,000 and housed the college's library, which contained 600 volumes by 1880. Following the college's closure in 1895, the building was used as a normal school for six years before being transferred to Taylor County Schools in 1901. It subsequently became one of West Virginia's first district high schools in 1902 and served as Flemington High School until its demolition in the 1950s.
West Virginia College's closure prompted the West Virginia Legislature to rename the Agricultural College of West Virginia in Morgantown to West Virginia University in December 1868, partly to distinguish it from West Virginia College and reduce mail distribution confusion. In 1982, the West Virginia Department of Culture and History erected a historical marker at Flemington Elementary School commemorating the college's founding and contributions to regional education.