The Gorgas–Manly Historic District is a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

that includes and eight buildings on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The buildings represent the university campus as it existed from the establishment of the institution through to the late 19th century. Two buildings included in the district, Gorgas House and the Little Round House, are among only seven structures to have survived the burning of the campus by the Union Army, under the command of Brigadier General

John T. Croxton John Thomas Croxton (November 20, 1836 – April 16, 1874) was an attorney, a general in the United States Army during the American Civil War, and a postbellum U.S. diplomat. Early life and career Croxton was born near Paris, Kentucky, in rur ...

, on April 4, 1865. The other survivors were the President's Mansion and the Old Observatory, plus a few faculty residences. Woods Hall was the first building constructed following the American Civil War. The remaining five buildings, Clark, Manly, Garland, Tuomey and Barnard Halls, represent campus construction during the economic recovery that followed the end of the

Reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

. The construction of Manly, Clark, Garland, and other buildings was financed by the sale of a large portion of of land given by the United States Congress to the University as repayment "for the fiery ruin brought by Federal troops in 1865."

The district

Gorgas House

An example of the Greek Revival style, the Gorgas House was the first building built on the campus of the university. Designed by William Nichols, designer of the original campus and Tuscaloosa's Old Alabama State Capitol, it was completed in 1829, prior to the opening of the campus. The main facade, minus the

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

, reflects the continuing influence of the

Federal style Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the newly founded United States between 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815, which was heavily based on the works of Andrea Palladio with several inn ...

. Initially used as a guest house for visitors and professors and as a dining hall for students, it was converted to use as a faculty residence in 1847. The house gained its current name from Josiah Gorgas, the eighth University of Alabama president. Ill health forced him to resign as president and the trustees allowed the Gorgas family to move into the house, which also contained the campus post office and student hospital. The building was dedicated as a memorial to the family in 1944 by the Alabama legislature, and then became one of the University of Alabama museums now known as the Gorgas House Museum upon the death of the last two surviving Gorgas children in 1953.

Little Round House

This small octagonal building with

crenelation A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...

s originally served as the guard house of the university. It was completed in 1860 and reflected the conversion of the university into a military campus. The conversion occurred on February 23, 1860, by an act of the Alabama legislature. As tensions between North and South escalated, the request for the transition came from the university president of the time,

Landon Garland Landon Cabell Garland (1810–1895), an American, was professor of physics and history and university president three times at different Southern Universities (Randolph Macon, Alabama, Vanderbilt) while living in the Southern United States for hi ...

. Ironically, the Little Round House, despite its military associations, was one of the few structures that remained after Federal troops burned the campus. When the university reopened its doors in 1871 the building was used as a physician's office. A few years later, while in a deteriorated condition, the building was considered for demolition. It was saved by the university trustees and converted into a records repository. It became known as Jasons Shrine during the 1930s, while being used by the Jasons, a men's honor society. 1990 saw the structure converted into a memorial for all of the honor societies.

Woods Hall

Woods Hall was the first new building on campus following the Civil War. Constructed from 1867 to 1868, the four-story brick structure was built with a

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

arcade on the ground floor, end facades in the Gothic Revival style with a crenelated roof, and cast iron galleries on the central upper floors. Initially known simply as "the barracks," it was used as a

dormitory A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...

. It also had a dining hall and classrooms on the ground floor. It remained a dormitory until 1961, when it was converted for use by the Department of Art and Art History. The area between Woods Hall on the one side and Garland, Clark, and Manly on the other side is known as Woods Quad.

Clark Hall

Built in 1884, the Gothic Revival-style Clark Hall was constructed on the site of the old Lyceum, destroyed during the Civil War. Clark was originally designed as an all-purpose building with a library, reading rooms, chapel, and a large public meeting room, which served as "the great public hall of the University." By 1910 the building was beginning to deteriorate and the brick walls were near collapse by the late 1940s, due to the heavy roof. The hall was saved by the erection of an interior steel frame within the building, preserving it for future generations. The building was restored again in the 1980s. It was named for Willis G. Clark, a university trustee. Clark Hall contains the main office space for the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as a dance studio (currently overseen by

Cornelius Carter Cornelius Carter (born Greenville, Mississippi) is a dancer, choreographer, and professor emeritus of dance. He is the director of dance at the University of Alabama and also the artistic director of Transition into Performance (TiP) and of the Al ...

Manly Hall

Manly Hall is a -story Gothic Revival structure in red brick. Similar in design to Clark Hall, it was finished in 1885. Originally built as a dormitory, it now houses the Department of Religious Studies, the Department of Women's Studies, offices of the English department, and the office of the literary magazine ''

Black Warrior Review ''Black Warrior Review (BWR)'' is a non-profit American literary magazine founded in 1974 and based at the University of Alabama. It is the oldest continuously run literary journal by graduate students in the United States. Published in print bi ...

''. It was named in honor of

Basil Manly Basil Manly Sr. (January 28, 1798 – December 21, 1868) was an American planter, preacher and chaplain best known as the author of the Alabama Resolutions, which formed part of the argument for creation of the Southern Baptist Convention on pr ...

, the second university president.

Garland Hall

The three-story Garland Hall is another Gothic Revival–style building on campus, built in 1887 to house a dormitory and the first incarnation of the Alabama Museum of Natural History. It is the "counterpart" of Manly Hall, and today houses the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art.

Tuomey Hall

The -story Tuomey Hall, now known as the Blount Undergraduate Initiative Tuomey Academic House, was completed in 1889. Built as a laboratory for the Department of Chemistry, it was named in honor of Michael Tuomey, state geologist and professor. Toumey Hall was previously the home of Army ROTC at the University of Alabama.

Barnard Hall

The -story Barnard Hall, now known as Oliver-Barnard Hall, was completed in 1889. Built as a laboratory and gymnasium, it now houses offices and classrooms for the College of Arts and Sciences. It was named for scientist and professor,

Frederick A. P. Barnard Frederick Augustus Porter Barnard (May 5, 1809 – April 27, 1889) was an American academic and educator who served as the 10th President of Columbia University. Born in Sheffield, Massachusetts, he graduated from Yale University in 1828 and ser ...

. It was rededicated as Oliver-Barnard Hall in 2000 in honor of John T. Oliver Jr., trustee emeritus. Barnard Hall was previously the home of Air Force ROTC at the University of Alabama.

References

External links

Gorgas House
- official site * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gorgas-Manly Historic District Federal architecture in Alabama Greek Revival architecture in Alabama Gothic Revival architecture in Alabama University of Alabama William Nichols buildings National Register of Historic Places in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama Buildings and structures in Tuscaloosa, Alabama Historic districts in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama Historic American Buildings Survey in Alabama Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama 1971 establishments in Alabama Tourist attractions in Tuscaloosa, Alabama