Meredith History Moment: Opening of New Campus in 1926

When Meredith College students returned to campus from winter break this month, they followed in the footsteps of generations of Meredith Angels. This year marks a milestone – 100 years since Meredith College moved from its original location to the current site at 3800 Hillsborough Street.

Construction was completed on six original Georgian-style buildings, including Johnson Hall, in time for the Spring 1926 semester. In January 1926, Meredith students and instructors occupied the new campus for the first time, with the school reopening on January 6, 1926.

While the move had gone smoothly, the January weather was not cooperative. “It snowed hard on top of the frozen mud, Thursday, January 7, the day after the school reopened; then it rained, and the ground thawed.” (A History of Meredith College by Mary Lynch Johnson)

A Move to “Larger Grounds”
The decision to move the College to a new location was made on May 23, 1921. According to A History of Meredith College, the Board of Trustees approved to move to “larger grounds, in, at, or near Raleigh.” The Tucker Farm site was then “three miles outside of Raleigh.”

 Johnson wrote that “The decision was not a sudden one, nor had it been easily reached.” 

In honor of 135 years of educating women and in preparation for the launch of a new strategic plan in the fall, Meredith College is celebrating its mission from January through September 2026. Look for monthly Meredith History Moments throughout the series.