So, Where is The President's Mansion?
The University of Alabama President's Mansion is located right in the heart of campus, across from Denny Chimes on University Boulevard. It is one of the original buildings that managed to survive the Civil War. It was built in the Greek Revival style which is, according to Realtor Magazine, characterized by “full-height, or full-building width porches, entryway columns sized in scale to the porch type, and a front door surrounded by narrow rectangular windows.” Other famous buildings built in the Greek Revival style are the capitol buildings in Washington, DC, and the White House. Because it was built before the Civil War, the President's Mansion is also considered an Antebellum home. Most of our presidents at the University have lived in the home, along with some students during the reconstruction of the campus following its destruction by Colonel Cruxton's army in April of 1865.
Field Observations and Memories
My first visit to Tuscaloosa was well over ten years ago. One summer in July, I came to town to spend the weekend with my cousin Gail, and she showed me around. Tuscaloosa seemed like a metropolis with all of its traffic lights, malls, and restaurants. The first place that Gail took me was to the University of Alabama. At the time, I was around nine years old and a staunch Auburn fan, but I was still enthralled with how beautiful the campus was. The tree lined streets seemed like something from a movie of the Antebellum South, and the buildings looked to be a million years old. One building in particular that stood out was the President's Mansion. It was a behemoth of a house since I was so small. I could not take my eyes off of it, nor could I fathom that someone could have lived in that house.
From a Student's Perspective
Now, over ten years since my first campus visit, I am a student here at the University. I can honestly say that the beauty of the campus is one of the reasons I came here and I am still awestruck by the visual aspect of this campus, and the President's Mansion in particular. It seems to be as beautiful and regal now as it was when it was built all those years ago. It does not seem as large now. I still think it is as beautiful, if not more so, than it was ten years ago when I saw it for the first time, because even in that short time, the landscaping framing the yard has changed and only seems to enhance the majesty of the home. It also still seems to be an uncharted territory for me, as I will not even step upon the grass in the yard of the Mansion. It seems to me to be hallowed ground. I now walk past it every day on my way to campus from my apartment but I still do not feel like I know much of anything about it. It has always been a dream of mine to look inside those windows just once, so that I know the truth about all of the questions I have always asked myself.
On the walks by the mansion, I have noticed many things about its surroundings. There are so many little details that make it especially beautiful compared to other buildings on campus. It seems to have the nicest landscaping of any building on the University grounds. On any given day there is at least one person raking leaves or grass, one person mowing the lawn, and one person pruning the bushes and flowers. While it may seem like overkill (or annoying with all of the noise early in the morning) it makes me proud to see that they take such care in keeping the home that presentable on a daily basis. It is also one of the most photogenic buildings on campus. I think it is the best place to have photos taken in the city. Most days in the Spring or Summer, there is a family, a bride, or a child getting their photo taken in front of the mansion. Whether it is a group of Alumni hanging out before a reunion, or a family taking their child to their first Alabama football game, the mansion always makes a great backdrop to any University photo. I remember on one trip by the mansion there was a bride in a massive billowing gown having her photo taken in the front lawn.
As I observed the President's Mansion and it's surroundings on a beautiful Friday afternoon, I noticed many things. I noticed the fact that no one really bothers to get too close to the mansion, not even me. Most people stay on the sidewalk or the long driveway leading up to the mansion. It seems to me that unless a wedding photo is being taken, the only other things I see in the yard are the landscaping crew members and many squirrels that have made their home in the trees around the mansion. I think that most people consider the mansion to be sacred ground.
Of all the people I know, no one has looked inside the home. I have friends that work at the university that have made deliveries for the President and his wife, but none of them looked inside. It is anyone's guess what the mansion looks like on the inside. Because of the mystery of what the home actually looks like on the inside, I knew that this would be a perfect opportunity to see for myself. Later that day, I called and was scheduled for a tour on June 12, right after lunch. As I observed the grounds of the home on the outside, I wondered what the inside of the home would hold.
Description of the Home
The three story home is two understated colors: black and white. It looks very tasteful against the backdrop of trees and perfectly manicured lawns. You would not be able to tell by looking at it from the front, but the home is only about fifty feet from an old dormitory in the backyard, about one hundred feet from the Rose Administration building, where Dr. Witt has his main office, and Little Hall, the Social Work college on campus. Directly in front of the mansion is the famous Denny Chimes. The closeness of this building to campus makes it seem like the President is very accessible, and although the home is situated on campus, it looks as if it is set apart on a beautiful plot of land miles from the University.. The mansion's design is very different from the buildings surrounding it. It looks as if the most time and effort was spent in making it the most special looking house on campus.
The sheer size of the house is astonishing. It is three stories, with some other small buildings in the backyard. It has two stairways, one on each side of the veranda. There are also, from what I have heard, three ways to get into the Mansion. There is a back door, which I have never noticed, a front door on the veranda, and a door on the bottom floor beneath the veranda. I believe that this makes it very intimidating, because you never know which door to go through. The bottom floor of the home has three beautiful archways, each one framing a window that lies underneath another porch-like structure beneath the big second level veranda. The size of the house seems to reflect the power that the President has over the University and the University's power in this state.
On the side of the Mansion, there is a garden. It has many rows of different rose bushes, all blooming in different colors. All of the flowers planted around the mansion seem as if they have been there as long as the mansion itself. There are white, pink, and magenta azaleas around the yard, and a collection of unique looking red flowers lining the Urn in the driveway. There are many trees that, upon observing older pictures of the mansion, have been there since the building was constructed. I remember earlier, during the spring semester of this year, a storm blew one of the trees down in the front lawn. It was so large that I remember noting that if it had landed another way during that stormy night, it would have hit the president's mansion, perhaps destroying part of it. It was definitely a close call for the mansion, but it was definitely not the first disaster it came out of unscathed. I remember when I was taking a tour of the University in 2006, the tour guide said that the home was going to be torched by Union soldiers during the Civil War. The president's wife, Mrs. Garland, protected the home from the soldiers, ordering them to put out the fire immediately. Surprisingly, the enemy soldiers obeyed, and now the mansion is still in pristine condition.
Older photos of the mansion I found on the University's library site shows it to be in the middle of a field. Sometimes the mansion has no driveway, and only has the same trees that are there now surrounding it. Other times, there is a pasture-like fence in front of it, and other times there are massive ivy plants covering the winding staircases in front of the home. The unique railings on the roof of the mansion (which I think makes it even more beautiful and unique) are just mere wires in some of the older photos, and the home looks disappointingly smaller. All of these photos just add to the mystery of the mansion's history. After spending the better half of an hour in front of the mansion, admiring its awe inspiring beauty, I decided to leave. It was the first time in ten years I had actually spent a lot of time observing the mansion, and I definitely feel as if I learned more about it. I was only the more interested in what my tour of the inside held for me. I was finally going to have my chance at knowing what that beautiful home held inside. Maybe all of my childhood questions would be answered.
A Dream Come True
A week later, I met with one of the Capstone Women to get a tour of the mansion. It was an extremely hot day, even from Alabama standards. I remember being out in the driveway of the mansion and listening to the tour guide, but all I could really think about was the heat! It seemed like forever before we were finally inside the (well air conditioned) home. The first thing I noticed was the spectacular chandelier in the foyer of the mansion. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It was made by the Waterford Crystal Company based in England. To this day, the company still considers the mansion's chandelier one of their best works. Just to let you know how prestigious the company is, they are also the makers of the Times Square New Year's Celebration Ball. Also, they made the beloved Waterford Crystal houndstooth hat that is housed at the Paul W. Bryant Museum here in Tuscaloosa.
Every piece of furniture, art, or lighting had a story behind it. There was original artwork of American landscapes, local artwork made for the mansion, marble busts, and even a couple of lamps that were originally made so they would not cast shadows (unfortunately, now that they are fitted with modern light bulbs, they do). It was obvious that a lot of effort had been put into the renovations. Even the flooring in the parlors was extremely detailed. They were oak, with a darker wood inlay around the perimeter of the rooms. There are antique oriental rugs in nearly every room and hallway, most of them are a rich red with intricate designs in blue and green woven in. Each room has it's own color scheme. In the music room, the walls are a calming blue, with a beautiful dark wood piano and a small crystal chandelier. Also, in the music room there is an elevator. This was installed when President Gallalee was living in the mansion, because he had a wooden leg, and it was hard for him to climb the staircases to the other floors.
There were many other things I learned about the mansion on my tour, but one thing stuck out: this place is a home. This was what I was expecting. Something beautiful and luxurious, but not overly lavish. It seemed like a home because of the warm lighting and lived-in feel. I think that everyone should take the time to schedule a tour of the mansion, whether you are a huge Alabama football fan, or just a person who enjoys touring historic homes. This tour of the mansion was something I had always dreamed of, and I was so glad to have the opportunity to visit my favorite building on campus... but I still had a question: how is it that the mansion has survived all of these years? I was soon going to find out with the help of some deep research and the fine people at Hoole Library.
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