Samford Hall, Historic administrative building at Auburn University, Alabama.
Samford Hall is a four-story red brick administrative building centered around a distinctive tower that holds both a bell and a clock mechanism. The structure houses numerous office spaces and serves as the core of the university's administrative operations.
The building was constructed in 1888 as a replacement for an earlier administrative structure that had been destroyed by fire the previous year. Workers incorporated salvaged materials from the destroyed building into the construction of this new facility.
The tower chimes ring out every quarter hour with classical melodies, creating a familiar soundscape that shapes the daily rhythm of campus life. Students and visitors learn to recognize these bell tones as they move through the university grounds.
The building is visible from many points across campus and serves as a natural landmark for navigation. The tower is the most commonly referenced feature when people give directions to other parts of the university grounds.
The original clockworks were manufactured by the Seth Thomas Clock Company in 1889 and functioned reliably for more than a century before being replaced by electronic systems in 1995. This extended service life reflects the quality craftsmanship typical of that manufacturing era.
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