Ayres Hall.

10 Historic Buildings

by Torchbearer Staff

With the purchase of the Hill in 1826, our institution began building and expanding. Here are the 10 oldest buildings that are still standing on campus today. Read more about the history of the university on our historic timeline.

1872

South College

Located on the Hill, South College originally served as a dormitory and campus armory for East Tennessee University. South College was converted into classrooms and meeting halls in 1890, and the facade was restored in 1989. It is now home to the Department of Physics and Ray’s Place restaurant.

1879

Cowan Cottage

This renovated cottage was once home to a gardener for the Victorian-era Cowan estate. It is located near the rebuilt Strong Hall and is currently used for classes and exhibition space.

1881

Carriage House

Built as part of the privately owned Woodruff estate, the Carriage House is now used as storage for Hoskins Library.

1895

Tyson Alumni House

Tyson Alumni House
Originally a two-story Queen Anne-style house, Tyson House was rebuilt in 1907 as a three-story Colonial classic. It is now home to Alumni offices and space for special events.

1908

Facilities Services Complex

Built in 1908, it is now the home of Facilities Services on Sutherland Avenue.

1911

Austin Peay Memorial Building

This building began as the Carnegie Library. It was extensively remodeled and rebuilt and renamed for Tennessee Governor Austin Peay in the 1930s when the UT administration moved there. In 1952, an addition was completed. In 1973, the administration relocated and Austin Peay became home to the Department of Psychology.

1920

Ceramics Annex

Built in 1920, the Ceramics Annex on Morgan Circle is now home to the Graduate Ceramics Studio.

1921

Ayres Hall

Crowning the Hill, Ayres Hall, named after President Brown Ayres, is one of the most recognizable symbols of the university. It closed in 2008 and, after an extensive renovation, opened again in 2010 with a north-side plaza, clock faces on the bell tower, and LEED certification among other updates. It is currently used by the College of Arts and Sciences.

1921

Hopecote House

This English cottage style home was a privately owned residence completed in 1924 for the Hope family. UT acquired it in 1976 and restored it in 1977 for use as a unique guest house.

1921

Morgan Hall

The UT Institute of Agriculture along with UT Extension and 4-H occupy Morgan Hall, which is named for President Harcourt Morgan.

Enjoy learning more about campus locations with our historic walking tour.

UT 225th anniversaryThis story is part of the University of Tennessee’s 225th anniversary celebration. Volunteers light the way for others across Tennessee and throughout the world.

Learn more about UT’s 225th anniversary

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5 comments

Nancy Bell August 23, 2019 - 7:50 pm

I LOVE MY UNDERGRADUATE ALMA MATER!

Reply
William Palmer October 7, 2019 - 1:13 pm

I met and married my college sweetheart in 1978.

Reply
Alice October 7, 2019 - 6:01 pm

It’s humorous when UTK pretends to care about architectural historic preservation!

Reply
DeWitt Stone October 8, 2019 - 1:41 pm

Except for two or three exceptions, UT has done a well in maintaining its collegiate architecture style. I was a student there from 1957 until 1964 and still feel “at home” when I can get to Knoxville to visit.

Reply
Kim Scholes September 14, 2021 - 1:34 pm

When I was in graduate school, I used to stay in Hopecote House when the resident caretaker went on vacation – it was like sleeping in a doll’s house in a fairy tale. I always looked forward to staying in that very special place.

Reply

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