Grant Dillard
Staff Writer
gdillard@murraystate.edu
Since the 1960s, the Murray State Alumni Association has offered bricks from torn-down Murray State buildings, now the bricks from Woods Hall are available, to students and residents alike.
The building was razed over the summer after deteriorating conditions forced faculty and students to move to new locations.
Carrie McGinnis, director of alumni relations, said the project initially came to be as a benefit to Murray State and the Alumni Association.
McGinnis said the idea of giving away bricks from historic Murray State buildings and residence halls isn’t a new concept. In the past, pieces of both Ordway Hall and Springer Residential Hall were taken and sold to whoever was interested in owning a piece of Murray State history for themselves.
Woods Hall, the current supplier of bricks, has an especially strong legacy at Murray State. The dormitory housed students from 1957 to the early 1990s.
“While it no longer housed students in its later years, Woods continued to play an integral role in the lives of Racers from all over the world as a home to the Office of International Student Services, individual studio space for art and design students and office space for other administrative units,” McGinnis said. “It had a starring role in the memories of so many alumni over the years, and as soon as word began to spread that it was coming down the calls began coming in for a piece of its history.”
As a result, Murray State Alumni Affairs have secured several pieces of Woods Hall, including bricks and glass blocks. The glass blocks, which were originally windows at each stair landing of the building, have been popular due to their uniqueness, McGinnis said. They come in small and large sizes.
This project is not just a way to preserve history; it is a fundraiser for the Murray State Alumni Association. All funds made from the sale of Woods Hall bricks and glass blocks will benefit Murray State Alumni programming, events, scholarships and alumni recruitment efforts through the Office of Alumni Relations and the Murray State University Alumni Association.
Anyone interested in ordering their own brick or glass block, complete with a certificate of authenticity, visit TheNews.org for more information.
Not only will alumni be able to purchase a piece of history but its memory will live on when a park named after the building takes its place.
“I’m really excited about that,” President Bob Jackson said. “It’s going to be a really neat space for students.”