Gorgas House
The Gorgas House was built in 1829, two years before the university opened, and was the first structure on the University of Alabama campus. It is also one of the few campus buildings that survived the Civil War.
When first constructed, the building was used as a guest house for visiting dignitaries and professors as well as a dining hall for the students. In the late 1840s the hall was remodeled as a faculty residence which during the Civil War belonged to professor John Wood Pratt. However, when the 7th president of the University, Confederate General Josiah Gorgas, resigned because of ill health, the Board of Trustees gave him the old Pratt House and he retired to it under the title of university librarian.
Josiah’s wife, Amelia Gayle Gorgas, accepted the position of post mistress and matron of the infirmary and thereafter both jobs were held in her home. After her husband’s death in 1883, Amelia became the new librarian and held that position until 1906. Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library is named in her honor.
In 1944, the state legislature designated the house as a memorial to the Gorgas family and today it is part of the University of Alabama Museums. It is open for tours Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free for current University of Alabama students and $2.00 for visitors. The Gorgas House may also be rented for special events. For information, call (205) 348-5906.
Information collected from The University of Alabama : a guide to the campus by Robert Oliver Mellown (Tuscaloosa : University of Alabama Press, c1988), The University of Alabama, a pictorial history by Suzanne Rau Wolfe (University : University of Alabama Press, c1983), and the Gorgas House Web site.