At the close of the American Civil War, Reverend Flavius J. Cather and the Free Will Baptists sought to establish an institution of higher education in Flemington, located in Taylor County, West Virginia.

[1][3] This institution was intended as a successor to the Free Will Baptists' Rector College in nearby Pruntytown, which had ceased operations in 1855,[1] and was destroyed by fire in 1857.

[1] On May 1, 1866, a corporation was created for West Virginia College "for the purpose of establishing an institution of learning, in which the ordinary branches of an English and classical education may be taught.

[11] In 1874, Colegrove began operating West Virginia College as a private institution, which it remained until its closure.

[10] In 1878, the Grafton Sentinel reported that an "Algebraic problem whose solution had been pronounced impossible was taken to West Virginia College" and solved by the then-president in less than five minutes using his new method.

[17] During this time, West Virginia College struggled to secure additional investments and experienced low enrollment.

[19] During the academic year of 1894-1895, Haywood Fleming served as acting president, after which the institution was no longer mentioned in official state reports and ceased operations.

[20] West Virginia College's facilities consisted of a small two-story red brick building.

[22][23] This change was partly made to distinguish it from West Virginia College, the name of which caused confusion in mail distribution to the two institutions.

[25] The marker reads:[25] Opened on this site in 1865 by Free Will Baptists led by local resident Rev.