 In
February 1931 one of Bowling Green’s newspapers dubbed Louisville
architect, Brinton B. Davis (1862-1952), the "Hill Builder"
for his untiring efforts as Western’s architect. His association
with the school began with the design of the master plan in 1909 and
continued until 1939. With the exception of two major projects, Davis
designed all the college’s new hilltop structures prior to 1939,
including ten major buildings and the school’s swimming pool and
stadium.When Davis designed Van Meter Hall in 1909, his reputation as architect had spread throughout the upland South; he eventually designed buildings in eight states, with the majority of them in Kentucky. When the Kentucky General Assembly appropriated significant funds for capital improvements at Western in the late 1920s, the Board of Regents retained Davis to execute buildings in accordance with the needs of the school and the master plan. Davis’ influence continues to be felt, as his handiwork piques the eyes of new students and visitors to the hill. In the 1980s a Brinton B. Davis Thematic Scheme was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, honoring his work at Western. |
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 Davis and Henry Wright, a renowned landscape architect, collaborated on the 1909 master plan for Western’s campus. |
 Bird's eye view of campus. |
 A dream never realized, the Memorial Tower was designed in the late 1920s to disguise the water tower located in the center of campus. |
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