After 56 years as the Roanoke College President’s House, the stately mansion at 535 N. Market Street in Salem will soon have a new name – Fishwick House – in honor of the family that sold it to the college and continued to support the institution in numerous ways across three generations.
The Roanoke College Board of Trustees last week approved a resolution to change the name of the Greek Revival-style home, which has housed six presidents and their families since 1968. It will continue to house Roanoke College presidents under its new moniker.
“We are delighted to honor the Fishwick family’s remarkable legacy at Roanoke College by naming the President’s house in their honor,” said Roanoke College President Frank Shushok Jr. “Today, Fishwick House is more than our home. It is a gathering place for the Roanoke College community that the Fishwick family has loved and served for three generations.”
Fishwick House was built in 1937 by a local pastor named Dr. LeRoy Gresham. It was later owned by attorney John P. Fishwick, a 1937 graduate of Roanoke College who went on to become president of the Norfolk & Western Railway. In that role, Fishwick fostered deep ties between the railroad and the college that remain strong today; in the shadow of his influence, a series of Roanoke College alumni advanced to C-suite positions at Norfolk & Western and its post-merger iteration, Norfolk Southern Corp.
John P. Fishwick generously supported his alma mater with both time and resources, serving on the board of trustees from 1964-1972 and making significant donations to support student education, including the establishment of an endowed professorship in English. His first wife, Blair Wiley Fishwick ’37, also served on the board of trustees – from 1976-1981 – and established another endowed scholarship for students. Blair Fishwick died in 1987.
Fishwick’s second wife, Doreen Fishwick, carried on the family’s devotion to Roanoke College, creating an endowed scholarship in her own name. In 2021, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the board of trustees, and upon her recent death in May, she left the college a generous bequest.
John P. Fishwick Jr., along with his wife, Jeanne, extended the family legacy, giving and serving generously to support transformative learning experiences for students. Their involvement has included the Turk Pre-Law Program and the men’s and women’s tennis programs, among other areas.
In 2021, John A. “Jack” Fishwick followed in his grandfather’s footsteps when he graduated from Roanoke College and became the third generation of the Fishwick family to contribute to the college. He now serves as the head coach of Maroons’ men’s and women’s tennis teams.
“It has been a privilege for me and my family to be part of Roanoke College’s illustrious history,” said John P. Fishwick Jr., “and we are greatly honored by the renaming of the President’s House.”
Since the Fishwick family sold their N. Market Street home to Roanoke College more than 50 years ago, it has offered a warm and inviting welcome to countless students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the college. Whether it is hosting new employees and students at the beginning of an academic year or bidding farewell to seniors, Fishwick House has been – and will continue to be – the setting for unforgettable milestones in the lives of our community members.
It is fitting that Fishwick House will now stand as a physical reminder of the Fishwick family’s generosity and devotion to Roanoke. The new name is meant to celebrate the many countless ways they have helped shape the institution into a place that develops students as whole persons and prepares them for responsible lives of learning, service and leadership.
-The Salem Times-Register
