The Gorgas House will be under construction for the next few months and is scheduled for completion in December. The project is state-funded and is estimated to cost $750,000, said Tim Leopard, the University’s assistant vice president for construction.
The building’s history dates back to 1829, two years before the University opened in 1831. It was the first structure built on campus.
“The renovations will include replacing the windows, using a more historically appropriate fence, placing a new roof [and] new shutters, and rebuilding the chimneys,” he said.
The Gorgas House is one of the few buildings on campus to have survived the Civil War. The house was first used for visiting professors and as a dining hall for students.
It was remodeled into a faculty residence in the 1840s and currently can be toured by guests and students of the University and used for special events, according to the University’s website.
“There was a need to maintain and protect this significant historical asset,” Leopard said.
There were some small renovations done to the house in 2004, which was the last time there was any remodeling being done, he said.
While the University has much Civil War history, many students say they aren’t aware of the historical buildings that surround them.
“I don’t really know much about the buildings unless someone tells me about it, but I do find it to be very interesting,” said Tarilyn Stokes, a freshman majoring in aerospace engineering.
“In comparison with the other construction projects that have been taking place on campus, I think the funding seems substantial, and it is needed to preserve such a historic place,” she added.
It’s very important to preserve buildings like this, Stokes said, because they shouldn’t become damaged beyond repair.
“Renovations don’t change the historic aspect of a building,” she said. “The same aspect will always be there. It’s our University’s history.”
In 1944, the house became one of the University’s museums, and it was dedicated to the Gorgas family. The house is named after the seventh president of the University, Confederate General Josiah Gorgas, and his wife, Amelia Gayle Gorgas—Gorgas library’s namesake.
Sara Brown, a senior in New College, said that the renovation is a good idea but that she did not know the house is available for tours.
“As long as you don’t change the quality of the house, then it is definitely important that renovations are done,” she said. “Given that the house is so old, it is a very important part of this campus.”
She said people, particularly prospective students who come and tour the campus, will benefit from being able to see such a part of history.
“The only things that I would claim to know about UA’s history are the things that I learned from the tours, but these are definitely important things we should preserve,” she said.
