Samford Hall - History

History

When Auburn University (as East Alabama Male College) opened in 1859, classes were held in a structure named "Old Main" on the current site of Samford Hall. On June 24, 1887, Old Main was destroyed by fire. The following year, Samford Hall (then simply known as the "Main Building") was constructed, using, in part, bricks salvaged from the ruins of Old Main. The design of Samford Hall roughly mirrored that of Old Main, except that Samford Hall had two main entrances instead of Old Main's one, and on Samford one of the two flanking towers was considerably taller and was constructed to contain a clock. In 1889, a clockworks and bell were added to the taller tower.

Through the late 19th century, Samford Hall was the college's main classroom building and contained the library. In May 1929, the building was officially named for William J. Samford. In 1941, the tower's mechanical clock was converted to run on electricity, and in 1977, a carillon was added. Samford Hall underwent major renovations in 1971, and the original clockworks were replaced in 1995. Today, Samford Hall houses the school's administration, accounting, planning, and public relations offices.