Potomac State College is a public college in Keyser, West Virginia. It is part of the West Virginia University system. Potomac State College is located approximately 90 miles (140 km) east of West Virginia University's campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. The college, with an enrollment of 1193 in Fall 2020, offers associate of arts, associate of applied science, and Bachelor of Applied Science degrees along with the Regents bachelor's degree. In 2018, Potomac State College began offering West Virginia University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program on the Keyser campus with the first cohort of students graduating in Spring 2021. In addition to academic buildings, the campus includes six residence halls, a conference center, a performing arts center, a recreation center, a gymnasium and athletic fields. The college owns three farms totaling 800 plus acres, supporting the only agricultural program in the region. History At the urging of Mineral County member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, Francis M. Reynolds, Potomac State College was created in 1901 as the Keyser Preparatory Branch of West Virginia University, by an act of the West Virginia Legislature. After receiving an appropriation of $20,000 from the legislature for the construction of buildings, Colonel Thomas Beall Davis, a local businessman, donated 16 acres of land as a site for the new school. That location, formerly Fort Fuller (also known as Fort Kelly), was a critical fortress in maintaining open roads leading to the South Branch and Shenandoah Valleys and in retaining Union control of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) during the American Civil War. Once construction was completed on the multi-purpose building that would house offices, classrooms, a library, recitation halls and a gymnasium, the College opened its doors to 80 students in Fall 1902 as the West Virginia Preparatory School. Lloyd F. Friend was appointed principal and teacher and was joined by four other teachers. In spring 1917, fire broke out in the multi-purpose building destroying most of the structure. Operations were moved to Davis Hall, named in honor of Thomas B. Davis, which was completed in 1916. With appropriations from the WV Legislature, a new Administration Building was completed in 1919. That same year, the college purchased 129 acres of land adjacent to its property for its agriculture program. After decades as a regional campus of West Virginia University, Potomac State College became an integrated division of the university on July