McKibbon House is a classic house in Montevallo, famous for it's characteristic architecture and history serving as both a private residence and Inn. Originally built for Robert Fulton McKibbon around the turn of the 20th century, the house has outlived many similar Victorian buildings. In recent years the house has functioned as McKibbon Bed and Breakfast, though it remains unclear what purpose the house will serve in the future.
From helping get citizens through the Great Depression, to serving as good entertainment to students without vehicles, the Strand Theatre in Montevallo proved to be a staple for the community for many years. Originally leased in 1920 by Ruth Watson and her son, the theatre provided the town with over 50 years of movies. Now, it's unclear what the building is being used for.
The Tavern, or as it once was known, Alabama Coaches Company, used to be a bus station that helped passengers travel to various towns across the state. Founded in 1935, the business lasted over 50 years. Now, the building functions as a popular restaurant.
Saylor House, previously known as Lyman Hall, was built in the 1850s and first served as men's housing as a part of the Montevallo Male and Female Institute. In 1952, the University of Montevallo bought this building and remodeled it as apartments for faculty of the institution. The faculty has since been evicted, and the building sits empty waiting for potential refurbishment and repurpose.
Calkins Hall houses various administrative offices, including the offices of the President and the Provost. It also contains the offices of the Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Public Affairs, and others. The building was originally built to house the music department, but it was changed to contain administrative offices when a new music building was constructed. Calkins Hall is named after Charles Calkins, one of the university's music directors.
Reynolds Hall currently serves as the location for the Reynolds Theater performance space, the Department of Theater, as well as alumni and developmental offices. With its grand white columnns and staircase, Reynolds shows off the lovely architecture of the campus. It is one of the oldest buildings on campus and is where the school got its start.
Named after Dr. Francis Marion Peterson, Peterson hall was built in 1913. It was originally built as the college infirmary. It is now used for studio art classes.
Palmer Hall houses administrative offices, such as the Admissions Offices, the Registrar's Office, and the Financial Aid Office. Palmer Auditorium is used for Orientation events, Founders Day, commencement ceremonies, and - perhaps most notably- the annual College Night performances.
Contruction on the Tower began in 1910. It was meant to be a spring fed water tower that held more than 100,000 gallons of water. It was completed in 1911. Eventually a new water tower was created because this one was so unconventional. The university turned this one into offices.
Wills Hall is the home of the University of Montevallo's renowned College of Education. Located near the center of campus, education majors are often found walking the squeaky halls of Wills, traveling from class to class, or popping into the Malone Center to find lesson resources. The variety of degrees offered by the College of Education in Wills Hall includes: Elementary Education, Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, as well as Family and Consumer Sciences and many others.
Bloch Hall was the first purely academic building constructed on campus. It opened at the beginning of the 1915-16 academic session, and first housed several laboratories and classrooms for lab sciences, domestic sciences, and fine arts. Today, it is still used for fine arts and family and consumer science classes.
Comer Hall, named for Braxton B. Comer, is home to English, Foreign Language, and Psychology classes. Comer houses the Harbert Writing Center, where students can bring their essays to be edited by peers who have experience writing grade A papers.
Morgan Hall is located in Montevallo, Alabama. It houses the Stephens College of Business and was constructed in 1976.
Hill House contains the Honors Program offices and is used for most Honors classes. The building also contains offices for other departments, such as Game Studies and Design, and for general education and academic development.
Flowerhill has been home to the presidents of the University of Montevallo as well as their families since the spring of 1926. Today, Flowerhill is a beautiful spot and social hotspot on UM's campus. The big front yard and long brick driveway are available to play on, take pictures in front of, and even bring your dog for anyone interested.
The Child Study Center is a child development laboratory located on the campus of the University of Montevallo. There are two classrooms comprised of children around the ages of three to four years old. Teachers at the CSC all "have degrees in Early Childhood Education, or a closely related field, and are highly qualified," and some student workers from the university are also employed.
The University of Montevallo's Anagama kiln is a 40-foot long woodfire kiln built primarily out of brick. It is one of the few kilns of its kind in the United States. The kiln is typically fired twice a year as part of the university's ceramics classes.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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Starting with historically significant landmarks in the downtown area and winding its way through campus buildings, this walking tour shares information about the city of Montevallo and the University of Montevello.
