Buckman Hall

Buckman Hall, Gainesville, FL

In October of 1905, the architectural plans for the first of the new university buildings were drawn up by Edwards and Walters, a South Carolina architectural firm officially selected for the job. Construction of the dormitories was given priority, with a chapel, administration building and classroom buildings to follow soon afterward. A motion by P. K. Yonge to adopt a Tudor-Gothic style of architecture was passed by the board. Bidding commenced immediately and the W. T. Hadlow Company of Jacksonville, Florida received the construction contracts with a bid of $72,250. Of the two brick dormitories begun in 1905, the smaller building was named Buckman Hall in honor of Henry Buckman “the legislative leader who had done so much to bring about educational consolidation.” (The Buckman Act, 1905), The north end of the building was used for classrooms until after World War II.

The building is today used as a dormitory for male students and remains an integral part of the University of Florida campus. As such it is reflective of academic architecture which became standard for university buildings in the Eastern United States. It remains today as one of two original structures at the core of the University of Florida campus.

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