Foust Building, Greensboro

The Julius I. Foust Building, located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), is the oldest surviving structure on campus and a treasured piece of the university’s history. Originally known as the Main Building when it was completed in 1892, it was the sole academic and administrative hub of the then-newly established State Normal and Industrial School, created to offer higher education to women in North Carolina.

Designed by local architects Orlo Epps and C.M. Hackett and constructed by Thomas Woodroffe, the building originally featured a central block, with two wings added in 1895. Its bold Romanesque Revival style-with arched windows, symmetrical three-story towers, and ornate brickwork-has made it a campus landmark and earned it the nickname “the Hogwarts building” among students.

In 1908, after additional campus structures were built, it was renamed the Administration Building. On February 22, 1960, it received its current name in honor of Julius Isaac Foust, the university’s second president, who served from 1906 to 1934 and helped shape the institution’s growth.

In 1980, the Foust Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, a testament to its architectural and educational importance. Today, it houses the International Programs Center (IPC), the Study Abroad Program, and the College of Arts and Sciences, continuing its legacy of fostering learning and global exchange in an enduring historic setting.