Southern Virginia University

Southern Virginia University (SVU) is a liberal arts college located in Buena Vista, Virginia. The school, though not officially affiliated with a particular faith, embraces the values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1867 as a school for girls, and is now a private four-year coeducational institution. While the majority of students are members of the LDS Church, students of all faiths are welcome on campus and are encouraged to be active in their own faith. The university is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; prior to receiving regional accreditation the school was nationally accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education.The campus consists of more than 155 acres (0.242 sq mi; 0.63 km2).The school was founded as a for-profit institution in 1867 during Virginia's post-Civil War era when Alice Scott Chandler established the Home School for Girls in Bowling Green, Virginia, later renamed the Bowling Green Female Seminary. In 1883, Edgar H. Rowe purchased the school and operated it with Mrs. Chandler as principal. Dr. Rowe moved the school to Buena Vista in 1900, and changed its name to Southern Seminary. It was located in the splendid Buena Vista Hotel, which had been built 10 years earlier to accommodate the large numbers of land speculators investigating the town's iron ore deposits. The iron boom was short-lived, however, and Rowe purchased the hotel. The original hotel still serves as Main Hall, the university's principal building, and holds a place of distinction on the National Register of Historic Places and listed as the Southern Seminary Main Building