The former 1932 dormitory for African-American nurses is located in the Oteen Veterans Administration Hospital National Register Historic District. The rehab/adaptation required extensive abatement followed by millwork, copper, slate, and plaster replacement. The rehabilitated facades reflect the original color palette. The architect divided the floors into four levels with a new service core (elevator and restrooms): basement, archeology; first, public/reception/receiving; second, archives staff with conference; and third, the most secure, with archival stacks for historic & cultural materials. Existing central corridors were redefined and preserved as exit to the north porch with new exit stair, service entrance, and ramp.
The architect worked within the guidelines established by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and the code regarding accessibility and life safety. The owner’s program called for the following spaces: archeology: lab, studio, storage and dark room; reception; lecture; kitchenette; fifteen offices; shipping and receiving; record storage; staff library; archival stacks; search room; multi-purpose room; and records processing work room.
The 17,830-square-foot building’s interior dormitory configuration with central corridor was unchanged until the VA transferred ownership to WCU and it was renovated for classroom use. Today a new design created offices similar in size to the former 1932 bedrooms. The basement contains archeology lab, studio and dark room away from the public. The public spaces are located on the first floor: reception for receiving visitors and directing them to staff or to the lecture/gallery area. The second or archives staff level was located away from the public but at mid-level accessible to both public and secure areas and containing offices, conference/multipurpose room, record storage, and library. The third floor, the most secure, will contain actual historical and cultural materials to be retrieved from the archival stacks by staff for viewing by a visitor in the search room.
