Hazel-Pruitt Armory, home of the HIVE
Shenandoah’s HIVE is buzzing with activity!
The Hub for Innovators, Veterans and Entrepreneurs (HIVE) has transformed Hazel-Pruitt Armory, a former Virginia Army National Guard armory building on Shenandoah University’s main campus in Winchester, Virginia, into a future-focused, boundary-breaking technology hub, innovation accelerator, and magnet location for tech business startup, expansion, and relocation.
The HIVE is designed to be a catalyst for economic development in the Northern Shenandoah Valley and to provide well-trained bachelors and masters graduates to serve as a ready workforce. The HIVE also has a special commitment to making the top of Virginia the emerging technology (e.g., augmented reality and virtual reality) hub of the Mid-Atlantic region.
Tour the HIVE
Veterans, Military and Families Center (VMFC)
This expanded center will provide military-affiliated learners opportunities in high-demand technology fields, and also provide them with comprehensive support and resources in a welcoming atmosphere and address the unique challenges that they face when entering into the university environment and the workforce. Learn more at su.edu/vets.
SU Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Incubator
This will provide programming, mentoring, investor introductions and work space. Services will generally include free legal advice for patents, taxes, bookkeeping, etc.; information on how to run a business from successful business people; a connection to a cohort of other business founders for idea generation; introductions to potential investors; and networking opportunities with fellow entrepreneurs and small-business owners.
SU Emerging Media Lab and Makerspace
Open to Shenandoah students, faculty, and staff, the SCiL Emerging Media Lab and Makerspace provide access to a comfortable work environment where one can work on 3D printing and digital design, use maker tools, and engage in electronics prototyping. The emerging media lab includes high-end workstations with Wacom drawing tablets, Adobe Creative Cloud software, 3D modeling tools, and Arduino development tools.
Shenandoah Center for Immersive Learning (SCiL): An Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Hub
Led by a team of SU faculty, professional developers, and passionate students, SCiL designs virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and extended reality (XR) systems that immerse learners in training scenarios and serious games for historical sites, museums, tech companies, hospitals, government agencies, educational institutions, and more. SCiL is an innovation resource for the SU community and the many businesses, organizations, and innovators that are shaping this new technology frontier. Learn more at su.edu/scil.
SU Center for Trust: Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, and Blockchain
The SU Center for Trust acts as a hub for creativity and teamwork in the evolving fields of cybersecurity, data analytics, and blockchain technology. This center offers cutting-edge research through engaging programs to prepare students with hands-on skills for their future careers. By relocating to the HIVE, the cybersecurity program aims to encourage interdisciplinary cooperation and enrich the vibrant tech environment at Shenandoah University.
SU Center for Transformative Learning: Advancing Active Learning
The center will advance SU’s faculty capacity and provide additional learning opportunities in our region. As a part of this endeavor, SU’s online education programming will collaborate with national and international experts to provide best-in-class programs based on leading learning science.
SU Collaboratory: A Community “Sandbox”
As a central component of all HIVE operations, the Collaboratory empowers faculty- and student-driven innovation and problem-solving capacity to assist in designing futures. It also provides co-working and problem-solving consulting space for the university community.
The Collaboratory, partially encased in glass walls designed to reflect the HIVE’s valley and ridge home, is dedicated to inspiring collaboration among entrepreneurs, innovators, learners and veterans. It’s available to all who need it, and can be rented for community events.
A Part of History
The Winchester Armory was built in 1940, and members of the Virginia Army National Guard 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment set out from there for World War II’s allied June 6, 1944, D-Day Invasion. The armory remained the headquarters for the 3rd Battalion until 2009, when it moved to the Cherry-Beasley Readiness Center in Frederick County, Virginia. Over the years, the armory not only housed the guard unit but also the site of a host of community events, including dances and performances by musical acts, including Winchester-area native Patsy Cline in the early days of her career. Shenandoah acquired the site as the National Guard prepared for its move, and has been working toward incorporating this important building into the university experience ever since. The adjoining garage is home to the university’s Esports Arena.
Share Your Armory Memories
The Armory Building has hosted soldiers, singing stars, county fair events, dances, and so much more since it opened in 1940. The 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division of the Virginia National Guard left the armory for the June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion of Normandy during World War II. It’s a memory-filled site that’s fully integrated into the history of the Winchester region.
The picture, right, appeared in the Winchester Star in March 1958. The caption reads:
CHAMPION LITTLE LEAGUERS
Led by high scoring Jim Wilkins (14 points); Dick LaFoliette (10) and Floyd Leighton (8), these Hawks captured the Little League playoffs last night at the National Guard Armory. Victims of the 32-9 defeat were the Pistons, led by David Kerns and Bobby Pryor. From left to right, the champs and Recreation Department officials are: Les Singhass, assistant director, LaFolletts, Leighton, Wilkins, Harold Bowen, Terry Braithwaite, Wayne Dick, Petey Whitlock, manager, and Jim Barnett, director.”
Do you have Armory memories to share?
In the form below, please share your memories about the armory building, and if you have photos, share those, too, with a brief caption.
The HIVE will offer services in partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia, the City of Winchester, the counties of Frederick and Clarke, and local educational entities like Laurel Ridge Community College and the Emil and Grace Shihadeh Innovation Center (part of the Winchester City Public Schools), as well as other local organizations and private investors.
Interested in contributing to the success of the HIVE?
Contact HIVE
Email hive@su.edu for more information or with any questions about HIVE.