Could Jeter Hall Become A New Hotel?

by Max Greene

The University of Montevallo is known for it's old, beautiful buildings and their historic nature. Jeter Hall, former home to the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, is one of those such buildings. Opened in 1915, it was an elementary school for the city, until the university bought in the 1965.

Last year, the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences moved the new University of Montevallo On Main (UMOM), and the near-hundred year old building has been left to gather dust. And there are some that say it is just too old.

Jeter Hall, the near-centennial former home of UM's social sciences.

"The Jeter building is of course in really bad shape, and so we've had several architects look at it and they all feel like it's a pretty cost prohibitive project to try and renovate and re-purpose that building into a hotel," said DeAnna Smith, the university's Vice President of Business Affairs. "So that is one of the reasons we might consider taking it down," Smith added.

The nearest hotels to the city are around 15 to 20 minutes from the university down Interstate 65. The university does have an on-campus hotel, Ramsay Hall, but for large athletic groups, and other visitors, it's just not enough.

Dr. Clark Hultquist, university professor of history who used to teach in Jeter thinks demolition of the building is a necessity. "It was was quite stark to see once you moved out of the buildingwith any of the few nice possessions that we had... what was left in there was little short of atrocious," Hultquist said. "I had a basement office, and I can remember I was sitting in the basement doing my work, and I could look at sort of half-windows up there, and watch peoples' ankles go by. It was a little bit dirty, a little bit grubby, and I think not particularly good for my voice or my throat being in the basement."

The university and the city still plan to honor the memory of the building by reusing the old brick and other features of Jeter. The plans for the new hotel could be underway as early as May or June if the university's Board of Trustees approves the proposal.