Monday, February 12, 2007

Time Capsule: 1982

February 12, 1982: Today is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the fire that destroyed the 92-year-old Main Building, severely damaged the roof of the Austin College Building, and drastically changed the skyline of Huntsville.

1 comment:

buildingshsu said...

Display To Show ‘Beauty Among Old Main’s Ashes’

A commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the burning of the Old Main Building will be on display on the second floor lobby area of the Newton Gresham Library through March 12.

“Beauty among the Ashes” will include a pictorial history of the building, photographs and memorabilia from the Feb. 12, 1982, fire and its aftermath, and a special display of recovered Old Main stained glass, according to university archivist Barbara Kievit-Mason.

The exhibit also will feature artifacts recovered during an archeological dig of the building remains done by state archeologist Mark Denton in April 1982.

These artifacts were returned to the Sam Houston State University campus by the Texas Historical Commission in 2005 and include door locks, door hinges, pieces of slate chalkboard, wood, bricks, nails, a whiskey bottle, stained glass window pieces and various other items.

In addition, Kievit-Mason is looking for an Old Main T-shirt from the Sigma Alpha Iota professional music fraternity for women, which was sold after the fire.

For more information on the display or on how to donate Old Main or SHSU-related items to the archives, contact the University Archives at 936.294.3699 or e-mail Kievit-Mason at lib_bak@shsu.edu.

- Today@Sam
SHSU Update for Week Of February 25, 2007