Geology Inside Lincoln Hall
Bust of President Lincoln
Originally dedicated in 1912, then renovated and rededicated 100 years later, Lincoln Hall memorializes President Abraham Lincoln, who signed legislation creating land grant universities such as this one.
Main Lobby on the Quad side
When you enter from the Quad, you walk through the lobby where floors, ceiling, and walls display “Alabama White” marble. Geologists assign this rock to the Ordovician Sylacauga Group, which consists of various metasedimentary units.
The marble (composed almost entirely of the mineral calcite) is soft enough that generations of feet have worn depressions into the stairs that lead from the lobby to the Lincoln Hall theater.
Lobby viewed from Quad doorway
The only way to photograph the entire splendid lobby, including its gold-leaf trim and the second-floor bridge, is to use a fisheye lens. All of the rock visible here is marble, although not all of it is Alabama white.
Next time you go into Lincoln Hall, pay close attention to the artistry displayed in the use of marble for structural features and for decoration.
Further geological information about the Sylacauga Marble
Sources
- Wikipedia has a good entry on this rock.
- UIHistories Image IDs 11407, 11415, and 34831
Image selection and text by Eileen A. Herrstrom 2014