Alexander Wade House

The Alexander Wade House is a historic house at 256 Prairie Street in Morgantown, West Virginia. Built in 1860, it was the home of educator Alexander Wade (1832-1904) from 1872 until his death. Wade is credited with developing a system of grade promotional exams and graduations that was widely adopted in the late 19th century. The house was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1965.[2][3]

Alexander Wade House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Alexander Wade House, September 2012
Location	256 Prairie St., Morgantown, West Virginia
Coordinates	39°37′29″N 79°57′30″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1860
Architectural style	Mixed (more Than 2 Styles From Different Periods)
Part of	Chancery Hill Historic District (2001 increase) (ID01001405)
NRHP reference No.	66000752
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966[1]
Designated NHL	December 21, 1965[2]
Designated CP	November 29, 2001

Description and history

The Alexander Wade House is located south of downtown Morgantown in the city's Chancery Hill area, just east of the junction of Prairie Avenue and Wagner Road. It is a 2-1/2 story brick building, with a dormered mansard roof. Its main facade is three bays wide, with a single-story porch extending across the front, supported by paneled square columns. Windows are set in rectangular openings, with stone sills and lintels.[3]

The house was built in 1860 for Judge Edward Bunker. At that time, it had a more Greek Revival appearance, with a gabled roof; the mansard roof was added in 1911, when the building was divided into apartments. The house was purchased in 1872 by Alexander Wade, an educator native to Maryland. As the superintendent of Monongalia County schools, Wade experimented with a system of grading and promotional examinations that successfully normalized the progress of children through rural schools. Wade documented his ideas and presented them to the National Education Association in 1879, where they met with approval and were eventually widely adopted by school systems nationwide. Wade was also an early advocate favoring adoption of the metric system in the United States.[3]

See also

• List of National Historic Landmarks in West Virginia
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Monongalia County, West Virginia

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
2. "Alexander Wade House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2007-08-09. Retrieved 2007-10-13.
3. (November, 1980) National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Alexander Wade House, National Park Service and Accompanying 3 photos, exterior and interior, from 1974.