The University of Alabama’s Kilgore House remains on the market after the University’s failure to attract a buyer who is willing to purchase and relocate the house.
The Kilgore House is being sold and removed from campus to make way for a new Fresh Food Company dining facility to be built, Cathy Andreen, University spokeswoman, said.
The new dining facility will be built on 325 Hackberry Lane, but first, the Kilgore House must change ownership and location.
The house became open for public viewing on June 25 and went until the day of the bid opening, July 9. However, with no offers to purchase the house, the University has reissued the request for sealed bids.
Those who wish to view the house may do so from now until Friday, Aug. 10. Bidding will reopen Aug. 10, and the University will contact the bidder(s) with the highest bid within three business days and award the house to them.
Andreen said the buyer of the house would be required to move the house to a new location. The University will consider other options only if there are no bids to purchase the house.
Since 1986, the University’s Alabama Heritage magazine has called the Kilgore House home, but tomorrow, all that changes as Alabama Heritage moves to a new location for the first time ever.
According to information found on UA’s website, before the Kilgore House was the home of Alabama Heritage, it functioned as a home for Charles C. Kilgore and his family. The house was built in 1890 by the trustees of Bryce Hospital and was used as a residence for Kilgore, who served as assistant steward at the time, the site stated.
Donna Cox Baker, editor-in-chief of Alabama Heritage, said although she loves the house, she fully understands the need the University has for the land.
“I would have loved to keep the house and will feel sad the day the old girl rolls away, but I fully understand the critical need for this piece of property,” Baker said. “Preservation always has to be balanced with pragmatism, and our trustees had to make a hard decision.”
Alabama Heritage moves its final box out of the Kilgore House this week and relocates to another historic building in Northport.
The new Alabama Heritage headquarters will be located at a former honeymoon cottage on the Rice family plantation, which has been built onto many times, Baker said.
Meredith Purser, digital media editor at Alabama Heritage, said the magazine’s move to a new location has been bittersweet for her.
“I’m sad to leave Kilgore, but I’m very excited about the University’s commitment to keeping the magazine around and finding us a new location,” Purser said. “The University has made this process easy and seamless for us.”
The removal of the house by the new owner must be completed between the period of Dec. 17, 2012 and Jan. 4, 2013.
For more information regarding the sale of the Kilgore House, call the Property and Inventory Management Office at 205-348-7501.
