The Mound
Quick Info
Historical Ruins of the Franklin Hall Dormitory (Destroyed April 4, 1865 by Federal Troops)
The mound is the ruins of the old Franklin Hall, the third dorm to be built on the old campus in 1833.
On April 4, 1865 the dorm was destroyed by Federal Troops in the burning of the campus. Later, the bricks from destroyed buildings were harvested to build the Woods Quad structures. The excess bricks were shaped into the mound and left to gather dirt and grass for over forty years. The site was given a historical marker that detailed its history and in 2006 the mound was rededicated by the SGA and the National Alumni Association in commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the University.
Today the mound is used in Honors’ Day ceremonies known as ‘Tapping on the Mound’ - a tradition which began in the early 1900s.
Information collected from The University of Alabama : a guide to the campus by Robert Oliver Mellown (Tuscaloosa : University of Alabama Press, c1988).