Epworth Hall is a historic building in Gainesville,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. It is notable as one of the oldest surviving buildings associated with the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

, though it is no longer part of the university's campus. It was erected in 1884 and is located at 419 Northeast 1st Street in downtown Gainesville. Now part of the First United Methodist Church, it was added to the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on July 25, 1973.

History

The present building was erected in 1884, and replaced an earlier building destroyed by fire the previous year. It was built to serve as the Academic Building of the

East Florida Seminary The East Florida Seminary was an institution of higher learning established by the State of Florida in 1853, and absorbed into the newly established University of Florida in 1905. The school operated in Ocala from 1853 until 1861. After being clos ...

, one of the predecessor institutions of the

. Originally opened in 1853, the seminary relocated to Gainesville in 1866. Epworth Hall had its four classrooms on the first floor, and offices, a library, and a study hall on the second floor. It served the East Florida Seminary for the remainder of the 19th century. In 1905 the Florida Legislature merged the seminary and three other institutions into the modern University of Florida, with Gainesville chosen as the location for the new institution. Beginning in the 1906 academic year the university's classes were held at Epworth Hall, while the buildings were being constructed on the new campus away from downtown. In 1911 the University of Florida completed its transition to the new campus, and deeded Epworth Hall to the First United Methodist Church, which still owns the property. It was added to the

in 1972, and renovated by the church the following year.

References

External links

Alachua County listings
a
National Register of Historic Places

Alachua County listings
a
Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs

a
Alachua County's Department of Growth Management
Buildings and structures in Gainesville, Florida National Register of Historic Places in Gainesville, Florida University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida 1884 establishments in Florida University and college buildings completed in 1884 {{AlachuaCountyFL-NRHP-stub