The day Tutwiler Hall came tumbling down at the University of Alabama
The University of Alabama residence hall affectionately known as "Tut" came tumbling down one year ago.
Julia Tutwiler Hall, the all-female dorm near Bryant-Denny Stadium on the University of Alabama campus, was demolished just after 7 a.m. on July 4, 2022. The beloved Y-shaped residence hall had housed more than 50,000 women since opening in 1968.
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The controlled implosion, which reverberated throughout the UA campus and downtown Tuscaloosa as warning sirens wailed, took a little more than 20 seconds.
About 1,600 holes were drilled in the structural columns of the empty Tutwiler Hall, where about 500 pounds of dynamite were placed by D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co. from Birmingham and Dykon Explosive Demolition Corp. from Bixby, Oklahoma.
Streets had been closed off hours before the demolition but crowds gathered at a safe distance to witness the explosions.
A new Tutwiler Hall
UA had commissioned a comprehensive evaluation of Tutwiler Hall, but officials decided that a renovation of the building would not be cost-effective.
Instead, UA decided to build a new Tutwiler Hall, just a few yards to the west of the old Tutwiler Hall.
The new Tutwiler opened to students in August, about four weeks after the old Tutwiler's demolition.
While the old Tutwiler housed about 1,000 students on 13 floors, the new five-story Tutwiler has a a bed capacity of 1,284.
According to UA, the new Tutwiler features state-of-the-art furnishings and amenities, with a hybrid community-apartment style setup of double-capacity bedrooms. Each room has two twin beds with a shared private bathroom. The building also features public community spaces with TVs and white boards, outdoor social spaces, laundry rooms on each floor, a fitness area, craft room and large storm shelter which also serves as a multipurpose room.
The outdoor space at the new residence hall includes a Tutwiler Promenade, with personalized pavers purchased by alumni and friends.
UA said that Tutwiler Hall will remain an all-women residence hall that primarily houses freshmen.
The first Tutwiler Hall was built on the UA campus in 1914 where the Rose Administration Building is now. The first Tutwiler was demolished in the late 1960s.
Who was Julia Tutwiler?
The resident hall's namesake is known as the mother of co-education in Alabama. Tuscaloosa native Julia Tutwiler played a key role in persuading the UA board of trustees to admit female students. Tutwiler's efforts were successful and in 1893, Anna Adams and Bessie Parker became UA's first female students. Tutwiler also was an advocate for prison reform in Alabama and she wrote the official state song, "Alabama."
Reach Ken Roberts at ken.roberts@tuscaloosanews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: The day Tutwiler Hall came tumbling down at the University of Alabama
