Ustler Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Women's Gymnasium
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Ustler Hall
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Gainesville, Florida |
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| Built | 1919 |
| Architect | William Augustus Edwards |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000660 |
| Added to NRHP | June 27, 1979 |
Kathryn Chicone Ustler Hall is a historic building at the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville. It was once known as the Women's Gymnasium and the University Gymnasium. A famous architect, William Augustus Edwards, designed it in the Collegiate Gothic style. The building first opened in 1919.
It was the very first home for the Florida Gators men's basketball team. It also hosted most of the university's indoor sports until the Florida Gymnasium opened in the late 1940s. Around that time, the university started accepting both male and female students. The building was then renamed the Women's Gymnasium. It became a fun place for the many new female students to exercise and relax. On June 27, 1979, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site.
In 1980, the new O'Connell Center opened. This made the old gym less needed. The building was almost torn down in the 1980s. But it was saved because of its history. For several years, it was mostly used for storage. A big gift from a UF graduate named Kathryn Ustler helped change the building. Its inside was completely updated with modern classrooms and offices. The university's Women's Studies Department moved into the newly named Ustler Hall in 2006. It was the first building on the UF campus named to honor a woman. When it was rededicated, it was the only building in the United States used only for Women's Studies.
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Building History: From Gym to Study Hall
The University of Florida (UF) started in Gainesville in 1906. At first, only about 100 students attended. So, only two buildings, Buckman Hall and Thomas Hall, were needed. More students joined over the years. Enrollment grew much faster under the second university president, Albert A. Murphree. He helped add more colleges and buildings to the campus. By the end of World War I, about 1000 students were enrolled.
Buckman Hall had some indoor sports space. But with more students, bigger sports areas were needed. The university decided to build its first special gymnasium. It was planned for the west side of the campus. William Augustus Edwards designed the building. He was the architect for the Florida Board of Control. He designed many of UF's early buildings in the Collegiate Gothic style.
Construction began in the summer of 1918. However, the project cost more money than expected. President Murphree asked people in the local community for donations. This helped finish the inside of the building. The fundraising was successful when Major League Baseball's New York Giants agreed to hold their spring training in Gainesville in 1919. They rented the new University Gymnasium as their headquarters.
The First University Gym
The University Gym was built for many uses. It was a student recreation center and a place for physical education classes. It also served as an assembly hall and a sports venue. It was the home court for the Florida Gators men's basketball team. All other university indoor sports programs used it for about ten years.
However, there wasn't much space for fans to watch games. As more students joined the university, a bigger wooden "New Gym" was built. This happened right next to the University Gym in 1929. It was a temporary home for the basketball team. The University Gym kept hosting physical education classes and intramural sports. It also held smaller meetings.
Becoming the Women's Gymnasium
The Florida Gymnasium was finally finished in 1948. In the same year, the university became fully co-educational. This meant both men and women could attend. The University Gym was renamed the Women's Gymnasium. It was then used for women's sports events and classes. The wooden "New Gym" next door became a practice space for the university's marching band.
In 1980, the much larger and more modern O'Connell Center opened. It replaced both older gyms as UF's main indoor sports place. The Florida Gym was updated for other uses. But the Women's Gym was planned to be torn down. People worked to save the building. In 1988, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This gave it special protection. Still, it wasn't used much and became mostly a storage building.
Ustler Hall: A New Beginning
In 2000, Kathryn Chicone Ustler, a UF graduate, made a large donation. This helped turn the empty gym into a modern academic building. It is about 14,700 square feet (1,366 square meters) and has three stories. It now has modern classrooms, along with offices for teachers and staff. A round courtyard was also added in front of the building. It replaced a small parking area.
The restoration work began in 2004 and finished in July 2006. In 2008, the restoration was called a "Project of Regional Impact" by the Florida Heritage Foundation. Now known as Ustler Hall, the building is home to the Women's Studies Department. It also houses the Center for Women's and Gender Studies Research. It is the only freestanding campus building in the United States used only for Women's Studies. It was also the first building on the UF campus to be named after a woman.
