Buckman Hall (Gainesville, Florida)

Buckman Hall
Buckman Hall, University of Florida
Location 132 Buckman Drive on the University of Florida campus, Gainesville, Florida
Coordinates 29°39′2″N 82°20′43″W / 29.65056°N 82.34528°W / 29.65056; -82.34528Coordinates: 29°39′2″N 82°20′43″W / 29.65056°N 82.34528°W / 29.65056; -82.34528
Built 1905-06
Architect William Augustus Edwards of Edwards & Walters;
Architectural style Collegiate Gothic
NRHP reference # 74000609[1]
Added to NRHP January 11, 1974

Buckman Hall is a historic building located in Murphree Area on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It was designed by architect William A. Edwards in the Collegiate Gothic style and opened in 1906 as one of the two original buildings on the University of Florida's Gainesville campus. It once was a multi-purpose facility, but has been used exclusively as a student dormitory since the 1940s.

Buckman Hall was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on January 11, 1974.

History

Background / Multipurpose building

In June 1905, the Florida legislature passed the Buckman Act, which reorganized the state's university system and established the University of Florida in Gainesville. Construction at the chosen site began late in 1905, and the first two buildings completed were Buckman Hall, which was named for Buckman Act author Henry Holland Buckman, and nearby Thomas Hall, which was named for Gainesville mayor William Reuben Thomas. When the new campus opened in September 1906, Buckman and Thomas Halls were home to all functions of the school, including classrooms, dormitories, and administrative offices. Buckman Hall housed the university's first cafeteria, gymnasium, and infirmary, and Andrew Sledd, UF's first president, also lived there for a time.[2][3]

Dormitory

The university's campus grew along with its enrollment in the early 20th Century, and newer buildings gradually took over many of the former functions of Buckman Hall. It has been used exclusively as a dormitory since the University of Florida became co-educational following World War II.[3]

From 1974 to 2003, Buckman Hall functioned as a student cooperative dormitory. In exchange for lower rental rates, students performed most of the day-to-day maintenance, such as general housekeeping and minor plumbing repairs. Residents also elected their own officers, who had the authority to make decisions concerning many aspects of residence hall life in addition to the duties of resident assistants in other dorms. The cooperative program lost popularity with students over the years, and Buckman Hall became a regular dorm for the spring 2003 semester [4]

Air conditioning

Buckman Hall and Thomas Hall were the first two buildings to open on the UF campus, and they are the last two buildings without central air conditioning. Because of Buckman Hall's obsolete utilities infrastructure, room-sized air conditioning units were not allowed, and students often cooled their rooms with a box fan near an open window.[5]

As part of a utilities update in 2006, Buckman Hall's old wiring and other electrical components were replaced to better handle electrical demands from computers and other modern electronics. These improvements also made it possible for residents to utilize portable air conditioning units beginning with the fall 2007 semester.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ National Park Service (2007-01-23). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "UF Historical Campus (archived brochure)" (PDF). University of Florida Facilities. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  3. 1 2 Pakkala, Tiffany (20 August 2006). "UF"s Hottest Dorms". The Gainesville Sun. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  4. ↑ Miller, Carrie (9 December 2002). "End of an Era". The Gainesville Sun. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  5. 1 2 Stripling, Jack (24 August 2007). "Dorm residents are beating the heat". The Gainesville Sun. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
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