Coburn Hall was constructed in 1899 and named for Maine governor Abner Coburn. It held Virginia Union’s original chapel and library collection. Many legendary pastors and scholars preached and lectured in Coburn Hall, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Ralph Abernathy, Dr. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Ms. Mary McLeod Bethune, Dr. Benjamin Mays, and Dr. W.E.B. DuBois. In May of 1970, fire gutted Coburn Hall, silencing the pulpit of the chapel until enough money was raised for the rebuilding of the beloved edifice in 1991. One year later, Coburn’s chapel was named for Virginia Union’s seventh president, Dr. Allix B. James.