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The old stone home of Fayette Rufus Buell, 1833-1913, where the humble beginnings of what we now know as McDaniel College, is being renovated.

What? Never heard of Buell?

Never knew that McDaniel College can trace its beginning to the stone building that once was the college golf course clubhouse?

Last March, the old stone house, which McDaniel College officials believe was built around 1830, was adopted by the WMC Heritage Society to become a conference facility and an apartment for visiting scholars and lecturers.

"The house, at 205 Pennsylvania Avenue (Westminster), will also serve as the future home of WMC Heritage Society, and as a setting for alumni gatherings and historical displays," according to an article on the college's website.

The WMC Heritage Society was formed in 2004 as "a way for alumni to honor the college's heritage -- Western Maryland College."

As folks around here certainly know, the college was renamed McDaniel College on July 1, 2002. The purpose of the society is to "educate current and future students and faculty on the traditions and history" of the college.

The $300,000 project to renovate Buell's old home is led by society chairman Don Rembert (Class of 1961), and his wife, Judy Ellis ('60), of Reston, Va.

They also, according to the website, helped lead fundraising that supported the publication of the college's history, "Fearless and Bold," by Dr. Jim Lightner ('59), a professor emeritus of mathematics and college historian.

More than 1,000 books have been sold to help support the annual WMC Heritage Society Scholarship.

According to "Fearless and Bold," Buell first opened a school in the stone house on April 16, 1860, and called it the "Westminster Male and Female School."

In the book, Lightner notes that Buell, who was born in Lebanon, N.Y., first came to Carroll County and had first established a school "on the property of Abner Baile, near New Windsor," in what we now know as fellowship hall for Sam's Creek Church of the Brethren.

Buell married Baile's daughter, Ellen, in 1856 and they moved to Illinois. However, in summer 1858, folks from Westminster "prevailed upon them to return and open a school," according to "Fearless."

The school operated all year-round. "Tuition was $3 to $7 per quarter ... In 1863, Buell changed the name to of the school to Westminster Seminary."

After many evolutions, the seminary moved to the center of what we now know as Elderdice Hall on the McDaniel campus and thrived.

However, while the college took root here, the seminary actually relocated in October 1958 -- to the grounds of American University, in Washington, where it is now the prestigious Wesley Theological Seminary.

We'll pick up the story in our next class. For your homework assignment, who can tell me why Buell's college was named "Western Maryland College?"

Class dismissed.

When he's not in summer school, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff@gmail.com.

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