Woods Hall, circa 1912

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Title

Woods Hall, circa 1912

Subject

University of Alabama

Description

Woods Hall, built between 1867 and 1868, was named Alva Woods Hall in 1884 in honor of UA's first president and was the first building constructed after the Civil War. Prior to 1884 it was just called the "barracks". It was first used as dorm for military cadets, but also held classes and a dining hall on the ground floor. It was constructed out of the bricks from the buildings which were destroyed in the Civil War as well as new bricks that were shipped in.

In 1966, the students discovered that the University was considering demolishing Woods Hall in order to build the Ferguson Center. They immediately launched a "Save Woods Hall" campaign and the new building was instead built behind Woods where Dressler Hall, a gymnasium that was destroyed by arsonists in 1970, once stood. In 1975 Woods Hall was remodeled and the wooden porches were rebuilt with concrete and steel while the iron railings were reinforced and raised to meet safety codes.

Source

Tuscaloosa News Archive

Date

Circa 1912

Contributor

Jason Townsend (Description)
Elizabeth Bradt (Description)

Type

Photograph

Identifier

67

Coverage

Tuscaloosa (AL)

Original Format

Photograph

Physical Dimensions

10 inches by 8 inches