Female Academy

Female Academy

Est. 1851

Unknown

This photo display the building now known as Reynolds Hall with a collection of townspeople standing in front of it. The building was one of two constructed in 1851 for the Montevallo Male Insitute. Not long after their construction, Reynolds Hall became known as the Female Academy and the other building as the Male Academy. These “Academies” were founded by two Presbyterian ministers, Dr. Gardner and Dr. Roach with the financial support of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the surrounding towns-people. The Academies soon closed due to financial strain resulting from the pre-war tension and start of the Civil War. Documents report that the Male Academy was soon sold off as a place of residence to Judge Lyman family.

With the war sweeping across the South, Reynolds Hall would soon become a historical landmark for the city of Montevallo. As Union forces neared the small town, townsmen collected in front of Reynolds to volunteer and gather Confederate troops for the oncoming battle. As one of the oldest buildings on campus with such a divided history, it is no wonder Reynolds Hall developed its own ghost story.

English

1851-1859

Annie Crawford Milner Archives and Special Collections at the University of Montevallo

Adelyn Gillon

JPEG

Photograph

Photo printed on paper