Stephen Komisarjevsky
I went to the Gorgas House Museum and I was amazed. I didn’t even know there were so many historical sites right on campus. The building was originally built to be a hotel (dorm) and a dining facility for the University of Alabama students before it got burned down. . I learned that during the Civil War the area which is our campus now burned down and all that stood was four buildings; one being the Gorgas House. When in the museum I noticed a uniform that a cadet wore from the University at the time of the burning. This uniform was very similar to the ones worn by the Confederate soldiers. They wore hats that didn’t seem to provide much protection and uniforms made out of wool which could have been extremely hot for them. The next thing that interested me was the piano which was a 1875 Haines Brothers Piano. These pianos are still made very similarly than they are right now. The piano was in amazing shape and it still had all the detail.
I enjoyed looking at the furniture that was in the museum. It was exactly what I expected from a house that was being used in the 1800’s. I was told that if you had a double staircase going to your front door, it signified political power, social power, and wealth.
The silverware, plates, pans, etc. were all plated in silver and had great detail. They have it in a showcase which can be seen when you walk into the house. This was a very historic museum with a lot of value for the state of Alabama.