University of the South

University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee

University of the South report to the Getty (PDF) 10.4MB

Founded atop the Cumberland Plateau in 1857, the University of the South (also known as Sewanee) represents one of the largest contiguous campuses in the United States. Situated on more than 10,000 acres, Sewanees historic sandstone buildings were built after the Civil War on a plan modeled on the colleges of Oxford University. In addition to its historic structures, the campus contains important archaeological sites from the earliest historic settlements on the Plateau. Grant funds will support the preparation of an inventory and assessment of these architectural and cultural resources for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places and the development of a computer-based management system.

University of the South received a Getty grant in 2004 for $170,000 to support campus heritage planning.

Report Summary

Purpose: Grants funds supported the completion of an architectural and landscape inventory of significant campus sites in addition to an evaluation of these historic and cultural resources for the development of nominations for federal designation. The project also proposed the creation of a computer-based management system regarding these places.

Historic Designation(s): None.

Planning Process: The project’s research team examined the university’s many cultural and historic resources in light of the methodologies used for National Register and National Historic Landmark nominations. Such resources include important sites in the prehistory and early Native American history of the region, notable examples of Collegiate Gothic academic buildings built in the tradition of Oxford University and constructed of native sandstone by local stonemasons, an eclectic community of Victorian “Sewanee Stone,” and other historic buildings in the town of Sewanee, and the historic University Farm. In relation to the historic university “reserve,” the report delineates the importance of five character areas: campus core, residential areas, commercial village, institution’s farm, and forest and their aspects of principal land use or historic function, natural systems and features, building types, and structural landscape features.

Outcomes—Products: The team created an in-depth report, including detailed historic discussions of the sites noted above. It identified 486 contributing buildings/features and 57 non-contributing resources and assessed the level of physical integrity of these features and the extent of their significance in relation to federal designation requirements.

Outcomes—Strategies and Goals for the Future: It is hoped that the University of the South will submit federal landmark nomination(s) as a result of this project and the campus and/or certain campus sites will receive designation status.