Limited Edition Images by Leslie E. Thompson

Samford Hall is Auburn University's landmark structure and was named after Alabama's 31st governor, William James Samford, by the Board of Trustees on May 29, 1929. The original building, then named Old Main, was destroyed by fire in 1887, and replaced on the same site in 1888 by Samford Hall. Samford housed administrative and faculty offices, and classes were taught there from 1890 until about 1969.

The most noticeable feature is the clock tower, from which a view of 30 miles is possible on a clear day. Formerly known as "Big Sam," the 1,800 pound clock was manufactured by Seth Thomas Clock Co. of Thomaston, Connecticut, and installed on April 18, 1889. The four clock faces are synchronized by means of a single shaft leading up from a floor below to a series of gears. An electric mechanism was installed in 1944. Before that, the clock was powered by a gravity system of weights and a pendulum.

The tower's bell, weighing 4,200 pounds, was built by McNeely Bell Co. of Troy, N.Y., and put into place in 1889 by a horse hoisting it into its position. Originally an attendant would tug a rope to ring the bell on the hour and at ten minutes past the hour for classes. During WWI, the bell was used for reveille by the Student Army Training Corps, whose barracks were located where Foy Union now stands.

The three-story building, of Georgian/Romanesque style, has many interesting and decorative features. The bas relief gable designs feature a flower and leaf pattern, which is repeated throughout the exterior of the building. Perhaps one of the greatest mysteries of the building, is the presence of two portrait busts positioned on either side of the building's centrally located title stone. Though the building appears to be built of brick, it is constructed mainly of wood, the supporting structure hidden from view.

*Special Collections & Archives, Auburn University Archives