Historical marker tells of early college building burned during Civil War

'Site of Franklin Hall' marker with 'The Mound' in background.

This week’s featured historical marker is the “SITE OF FRANKLIN HALL” marker in Tuscaloosa, Ala. This marker is one of several located on The Quad on the campus of the University of Alabama.

This marker was erected by the Alabama Historical Association in 1981. There’s text on both sides of the marker, but both sides are the same. What follows in the complete text from the marker:

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“SITE OF FRANKLIN HALL (The Mound) Franklin Hall, an early University dormitory designed by Capt. William Nichols, was erected on this site in 1835. Was one of the buildings destroyed by the Union raid on April 4, 1865. After Civil War the remains of structure were shaped into present mound. By early 20th century this mound had become traditional site for honorary tappings by the University.

“Marker donated by Phi Mu sorority in commemoration of its 50th anniversary at the University of Alabama.”

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Franklin Hall was a three-story building that was one three buildings that were once located on the west side of The Quad. None of them remain standing today. The other two buildings were Washington Hall and Johnson Hall, both dormitories. Washington was a three-story building like Franklin, and Johnson was a one-story building between Franklin and Washington.

Capt. William Nichols was an interesting man. Born in Bath, England in 1780, he grew up to become a famous architect, who moved to the United States in 1800. After a term of service as North Carolina’s state architect, he moved to Alabama in 1827 and became Alabama’s state architect.

While in Alabama, he designed the University of Alabama’s original campus, using Thomas Jefferson’s University of Virginia as a model. Union soldiers burned all of the college buildings Nichols designed except on during their raid in April 1865. If I’m not mistake, the only building that wasn’t burned as the Little Round House, which wasn’t far from Franklin Hall.

During the Civil War, Union troops arrived in Tuscaloosa on April 3, which was six days before Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, effectively ending the war. On April 4, about 200 Union troops under General John T. Croxton began making their way toward the university campus. They were met by the university’s cadet corps, who were led by Col. James T. Murfee.

These two groups fought a short battle that took place near the present-day intersection of University Boulevard and Greensboro Avenue. Overmatched, the young cadets retreated, allowing the Union troops to burn the campus. One of the buildings they burned was the main library, and the only book saved from the fire was an 1853 edition of the Quran. That book can still be seen today as part of a display at the W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library.

In the end, visit this site next Wednesday to learn about another historical marker. I’m also taking suggestions from the reading audience, so if you know of an interesting historical marker that you’d like me to feature, let me know in the comments section below.