Few southern universities are as steeped in history as the University of Alabama. From its beginnings as a frontier academy to becoming a dominant force in college football, the last 180 years have been historic indeed,In some cases that history appears to echo into the present; whether it be in the form of a long dead Union raider, the unfortunate loser of a heated duel, or past librarians that refuse to give up their posts, the Capstone has more than its fair share of haunted history.
During my time as a student at the University of Alabama (Class of 2000) I became keenly aware of the haunted nature of campus. As an Art major, I spent most of my days in and around Woods Hall, infamous on campus even now for having a rather ominous air to its basement levels. Woods Hall was the first new building constructed after the original campus was burned during the Union invasion of 1865 just five days before Lee surrendered at Appomattox. Constructed between 1867 and 1868 “The Barracks” was meant to serve as both living quarters and classroom for cadets at the revived military academy. The courtyard, which now serves as a sculpture garden and “Art Quad”, was once the drill grounds and parade square.
My first impressions of the building; before learning its history, was that it was certainly built for military purpose. Its octagonal turrets and arcade arches stand in stark contrast of the parapets and smooth curves of the Neo-Gothic Garland Hall just across the courtyard. I recall being amused by the idea that would be learning art and design within a space initially built for the instruction of drill and combat. I was also intrigued by the scant rumors of the building being haunted, but my initial curiosity was lost in the bustle of college life. It wasn’t until my senior year that I rather unexpectedly bumped into one of Woods Hall’s original tenants.
I was attending a opening at the adjacent Moody Gallery one Saturday evening, and had decided to go across the yard and check in on one of my paintings in the upstairs studios. Painting students had free range of the studios in those days and some of us often worked on final pieces at odd hours. At that time Woods Hall possessed (and may still)an infamous elevator – infamous with students and staff because of its unreliable nature. We often joked that the elevator existed before the Hall itself and was operated by morlocks and a pulley system in the basement. The elevator often got stuck in transit, or opened between floors. On one occasion it had taken myself and a couple other students to the fabled off-limits basement level. The doors opening long enough for me to confirm there was in fact no morlocks operating the tired compressor; only a cold dark room filled with moldering, dust covered easels and office furniture. Not the horrors I had imagined.
On the evening in question, the elevator was true to form and opened between the fourth and third floors. I caught myself midway into a sigh of annoyance. On the fourth floor, standing in front of the elevator door, I could clearly see the feet and legs of what I assumed was another student waiting for the elevator. It struck me odd that the feet and legs were clad in black military dress boots and pale blue trousers with a black stripe on the side…odd, but not bizarre for the art department. Maybe there was a military ball of which I was unaware? Just as the elevator lurched back to life, the oddly clad someone turned and walked toward the balcony. Finally on the correct floor, I stepped out of the elevator and looked about for the other student, but found no one. Maybe they had grown annoyed and taken the stairs? But when I glanced down the balcony it way empty. I lingered on the railing for a few moments, waiting to see if the person exited the building. The balconies were built as such that one could survey the entire courtyard. But again, there was no sign of the strangely dressed student.
As the weekend passed, I found that I was unable to dismiss the incident at Woods Hall. In my heart of hearts I knew I had witnessed an echo from the past. I was no stranger to concepts of ghosts and haunting; having grown up in a house with more than its share of bumps in the night, but I had never before that point witnessed an apparition. The following Monday morning I came to the conclusion that a bit of research was in order and after ditching my psychology class, I was off to the library (which is also notoriously haunted, but I’ll get to that in my next post). My innate talent for research came up tops once again, and in short order I had found the likely origin of my phantom soldier.
Shortly after the construction of Woods Hall in 1868, during the university’s post civil war revival, a duel had taken place on one of the balconies of the hall. The dispute was rumored to have involved the honor of one of the two cadets cousin or sister being tarnished by the other. Headstrong young men, post war anxieties, and a woman’s honor made the perfect catalyst for infamous duel. There was no indication as to why the balcony was chosen over the the courtyard, but as the tale goes the cadet that was shot tumbled over the railing and onto the brick pavement below. The records state that it was unclear whether he was killed by the shot or the fall. Could this young duelist have been the oddly clad fellow I glimpsed outside the elevator?
Further research into the legends and lore of the campus revealed that my encounter was not unusual. In fact the phantom cadet was one of the more prolific specters on campus, having been seen dozens of times thru the decades and I recall feeling somewhat cheated that it had taken three years for me to bump into him. But then again, maybe I already had. Maybe he was the reason the graphic design lab always felt so forlorn (I never finished a project in that room…all my design work was completed at home) and maybe he was the cold spot in the back of the printmaking room? Regardless of the true nature of the haunting, my encounter with the phantom cadet at Woods Hall would ultimately serve as a cherry on top of my other experiences with haunted history at the University of Alabama. What other experiences you might ask? Be on the lookout for my next post where I give all the details about my first tour of the Gorgas House, and my most recent.
