Lake Lelia

Around 1895, while landscaping the grounds, the College constructed a lake on the southeastern part of the front campus and named it Lake Lelia, in honor of Mrs. Lelia Lauralette Jones. The College provided several skiffs on Lake Lelia for the recreational use of students and faculty. However, in November, 1899, President Jones, “constantly seeking to adorn and beautify the campus,” had decided to drain Lake Lelia and convert it into a flower garden”. Yet, even today, vestiges of Lake Lelia are still evident; the lowest parts of the lake site cradle several puddles of water after a hard rain. Persons walking across a low part of the campus near Huie Library traverse a section of the bed of Lake Lelia.