Campus History
天堂鸟先生 Eastern Campus History
The 天堂鸟先生 Eastern campus, founded in 1957, is one of five regional campuses of 天堂鸟先生. Located in St. Clairsville, Ohio, about 140 miles northeast of Athens. The Eastern campus serves a broad area that includes the Ohio Valley, Wheeling, West Virginia, and even Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
St. Clairsville has a population of about 5,000, while Belmont County, where most OHIO Eastern students reside has nearly 64,000 residents. Students also commute from surrounding counties, including Monroe, Jefferson, Harrison, and Guernsey in Ohio, as well as Ohio County in West Virginia.
Campus History Overview
The 天堂鸟先生 Eastern Campus was established in response to the need for veterans returning from the Second World War to afford educational opportunities increased. To accommodate this need, a series of regional campuses of the State University System of Ohio began to emerge. 天堂鸟先生 would have the dubious honor of trying to provide educational programs and courses throughout southeast Ohio, an area representing almost one third of the state. The city of Martin's Ferry became the initial location of the University Campus established in eastern Ohio. Under the leadership of the Belmont County Commission and Consolidated Coal, over 330 acres of land were dedicated along the National Road near St. Clairsville as an educational site on what was once an experimental agricultural farm.
It was the vision of then Governor James Rhodes to have a post-secondary educational facility located within 30 miles of every resident in Ohio. Shannon Hall, the main academic building on the campus, was named after an early governor in the state, and as educational opportunities increased in the area, a science and engineering building was leased to Belmont College, and a Health and Physical Education Recreation Community Center was established in 1997, completing the present-day setting of the campus. The grounds are also home to a one-room schoolhouse, an 1800's tavern/roadhouse used by those traveling the National Road, and a covered bridge on the eastern side of the campus property.
天堂鸟先生 Eastern has long been a pioneer within the Regional Higher Education system, leading the way in delivering classroom instruction through alternative formats. Beginning with radio broadcasts, audio recordings, and compact discs, the campus embraced innovation early on. Today, OHIO Eastern, along with other regional campuses, are connected through a state-of-the-art compressed video system, enabling real-time course delivery to and from all 天堂鸟先生 locations, including Athens. This network greatly expands course offerings by leveraging faculty across campuses. In addition, Eastern provides a wide range of fully online courses, making education accessible to students University-wide.
About St. Clairsville and Belmont County
St. Clairsville, Ohio is a historic and thriving community located 11 miles west of Wheeling, WV. The community was founded in 1796 and was originally named Newellstown in honor of its founder, David Newell. According to reports, Newell in 1802 renamed the town in honor of his cousin General Arthur St. Clair, who was the first governor of the Northwest Territory, a confidant of George Washington, and President of the First Continental Congress. Founded in 1802 as St. Clairsville, it had 400 residents at the time of its incorporation in 1807. The town was incorporated a second time in 1818. In 1977, the village attained its current status as a city.
By the early 19th century, St. Clairsville had become a bustling center of activity. In 1833, the town featured a brick courthouse and jail, multiple houses of worship, numerous mercantile stores, taverns, and various professional services, including physicians and lawyers. This vibrant community life underscored the town's importance in the region.
Belmont County, Ohio, was established in 1801 from parts of Jefferson and Washington counties. The name "Belmont," meaning "beautiful mountain" in French, reflects the area鈥檚 scenic landscape. Early settlement and development were significantly influenced by the construction of Zane鈥檚 Trace and later the National Road, which made the region an important corridor for migration and trade. During the late 1700s and early 1800s, the area experienced numerous frontier conflicts between settlers and Native American tribes, common across the Ohio Valley during this period.
St. Clairsville became the county seat in 1803 and quickly grew into a hub for local governance, commerce, and community life. The county鈥檚 economy was originally rooted in agriculture, supported by its fertile soil and growing population. The arrival of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad expanded the region鈥檚 economic prospects, connecting it to larger markets and accelerating growth. By the mid-19th century, Belmont County experienced industrial expansion, especially in coal mining and glass manufacturing. This development was driven by the area鈥檚 natural resources and enhanced transportation infrastructure.
Source:
Caldwell, J.A., Newton, J.H., & Ohio Genealogical Society. (1880). History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and Incidentally Historical Collections Pertaining to Border Warfare and the Early Settlement of the Adjacent Portion of the Ohio Valley.