Blackwell Hall’s demolition brings back memories

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen to E-Dorm; after nearly 60 years, the walls of Furman University’s Blackwell Hall are coming down.

The residence hall opened in 1967, and demolishing it is part of the renovation of South Housing, where most first-year students live. Demolition work began July 14, and in Blackwell’s place landscapers will put lawns and seating for students to gather in, along with basketball and pickleball courts. The landscaping should be complete before students move in next week.

The Furman community shared a mix of emotions when they saw the news on social media that excavators had begun biting through the bricks.

“Awe! Kinda sad.”
“Well. Now I feel old.”
“Heading to grief counseling now!”
“Goodbye E.”

Crews build Blackwell Hall on Furman University’s campus in 1967 in this archival photo. More than 10,000 students lived in Blackwell before its demolition in 2025 as part of a renovation of South Housing.

When Furman’s residence halls were referred to by letters, Blackwell was “E-Dorm” to many of the more than 10,000 students who called it home. Graduates from the late 1960s and on flocked to Facebook sharing memories of singing in the halls, finding messages carved in dresser drawers and getting into – or narrowly avoiding – trouble.

“Hey, if you find a Go-Go’s cassette while you’re clearing away the rubble, please inbox me,” said Tony Jones ’88. Graduates like Don Spencer ’73 said it was the only air-conditioned men’s dorm during their time on campus; Randall David Cook ’91 said the small size of his second-floor room “was worth dealing with for the AC alone.”

Though Blackwell Hall originally housed only male students, it became home to men and women in the 1990s. Several graduates remembered sneaking in before then, as well as the shift in the culture once women moved in. Susan Yeo ’92 was among the first women to live in E-Dorm, and fondly remembered tanning on “E-Beach,” the lawn behind the hall where people would lie in the spring to get an early start on their summer tans.

With Blackwell Hall coming down, some alumni wondered about its namesake. Blackwell was named for Furman’s eighth president, Gordon Williams Blackwell ’32, who served from 1965 to 1976. His legacy as a champion of racial integration and women’s rights will live on, as Lakeview Hall – opened in 2024 – will be renamed Blackwell Hall.

“Much as I will miss (the old) Blackwell,” said Mark Horner ’00 on Facebook, “I am pleased that the wonderful new dormitory will continue to honor the legacy of Dr. Blackwell, whose insistence on ‘greatness by national standards’ led Furman to its bright future.”

Like father, like daughter

Andrew Burr ’91 is now the university’s head Women’s Soccer coach, but in 1987 he was a first-year student from Atlanta. His father left the car running on move-in day as he and Burr trekked up Blackwell’s stairs carrying two bags. A firm handshake and some parting words, and Burr went from being college-bound to a moved-in Paladin.

Things were different when Burr’s daughter, Sophie Burr ’28, moved into Blackwell in 2024, more than three decades later, but not that different.

Furman University Women’s Soccer Head Coach Andrew Burr ’91 poses with his daughter, Sophie Burr ’28, who in 2024 moved into a dorm room in Blackwell Hall directly across from the room her father lived in 37 years earlier. Photo courtesy of Andrew Burr.

“It had the same smell,” Burr said with a laugh. “It didn’t smell like fresh-baked bread. It wasn’t a bad smell or a good smell. It was just a Blackwell smell.”

Neither he nor his daughter had to lift a bag on move-in day; a swarm of Paladin Football players buzzed about helping incoming students haul their belongings upstairs. It gave Burr and his daughter time to explore the hall.

“When I walked up those stairs 30 years later and turned to see her room was right across the hall from mine, I couldn’t believe it,” Burr said.

He shared stories with her of the tight-knit community he experienced at Blackwell, how refreshing the air conditioning was when he grew up without it in his childhood home. She laughed as he talked about late-night, hair-brained schemes to go bowling with friends in the hall.

“We had time to talk and take pictures,” he said. “Living there, people form a bond. I’m still friends with my first-year roommate, and (Sophie) made quick friends with hers. That’s what you get at Furman: You’re part of the family, and people look out for you.”