UAB’s stained glass windows recognized “most beautiful” on U.S. college campuses

College Cliff, a national free online resource for prospective college students, has named UAB’s Spencer Honors House one of the most beautiful places for stained glass art on a college campus in the nation. 

The digital publication recognized ten college campuses for their stained glass art, including:

• St. Louis University
• Baylor University
• Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles
• Trinity College in Hartford 

UAB’s Spencer Honors College — a special landmark

Originally built in 1901 to house the Second Presbyterian Church, the Honors House’s beloved stained glass windows have been a part of UAB since the 1970s. 

“The University of Alabama at Birmingham has a rich history of attracting high-achieving students and our honors programming has contributed to this growing success. One of the landmarks of the UAB campus is the view of the stained-glass windows of the Spencer Honors House, which is home to one of the UAB Honors College’s specialized programs, the University Honors Program. 

It is a constant reminder of our collective history, providing a sense of continuity between the past and our present, as well as the connection between our surrounding communities and UAB. We are excited the university restored the windows. They are so beautiful, and I am glad we are carefully tending to this part of our history.”

~ UAB Honors College Dean Shannon Blanton, Ph.D.

History of the beautiful 123-year-old building

The UAB Spencer Honors House has a rich history on the Southside of Birmingham.

Spencer Honors House Timeline:

• Built in 1901 to house Southside’s Second Presbyterian Church, which occupied the building until 1963 
• Home to New Hope Baptist Church from 1964 to 1970 before becoming official UAB property
• Reopened as the UAB Ballet House, it held space for both the university’s ballet programs and the Alabama Ballet, the state’s premier professional ballet company. 
• Before the 1983 opening of the Hill University Center—the predecessor of the current Hill Student Center—the Spencer Honors House held offices for student government and other student organizations. 
• In 1984, UAB’s Honors Program moved in.
• In 2001, the Spencer Honors House underwent a major renovation, made possible thanks to a $2 million gift from William and Virginia Spencer. 
• Repairs and restoration in 2019 and 2020 by Terry Barnes with Leeds Stained Glass. The three glass windows and their surrounding wood façades were removed for restoration, and contractors replaced each with a temporary plywood covering

Check out photos of the restoration.

Have you seen the stained glass windows at UAB’s Spencer Honors House? Tell us your favorite memory of this special landmark.