Austin Hall: 166 Years of History Endured

Another in this semester's review of the buildings on campus (Apr. 27); this time, the Houstonian's Leslie Cordova celebrates Austin Hall:

William Martin Barrett was the appointed architect and contractor for the first permanent building of Austin College in Huntsville in 1851 with an estimated $2.27 million budget. The facility was opened to students in 1852. It was established as the first law school in Texas in 1855, was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1964 and is also the oldest educational building west of the Mississippi River.

The building was restored over the years although many documents and equipment had been lost. A new cupola and thousands of bricks with names carved into them were saved. Once the renovations were completed, Austin Hall was rededicated in October 1986.