I was just curious if an article could be written about the little building at the intersection of West Kennedy Blvd and Hyde Park/University Dr by Urso. It looks like it used to be a parking ticket booth, but now I think it is used for storage. I pass by it multiple times each day, and have been curious as to its purpose. –Emily S.
Nobody ever pays much attention to the small brick building that stands guard at the entrance to our school. Eric Cardenas, the director of Public Information, helped fill us in on the history of the structure that dates all the way back to the Plant Hotel.
“According to the H.B. Plant Museum staff, the gatehouse […] was used as the carriage entrance for the hotel for visitors from the city,” Cardenas said. “Apparently there were large iron gates across the road (now University Drive) at the location of the gatehouse, and personnel in the gatehouse allowed entry.”
According to a 1981 edition of The Minaret, the gatehouse was renovated from just a dormant building into an information center that year. It was equipped with amenities like carpet and air conditioning. An officer from Campus Safety would sit in the information center and welcome visitors to campus, provide information about UT and the city and give directions and parking passes.
Officer Maryann Segarra was the first Gatehouse Information Officer and remained so from its opening until 1983 when she left her position to be a TPD officer. Segarra helped pioneer the gatehouse program.
University police at the time talked about installing a drive-up feature so people at the information center wouldn’t have to take up parking spaces, but it is unclear if this feature was ever implemented.
It isn’t known when the gatehouse stopped being an information center, but it currently acts as storage for the Plant Museum.
Thanks for the question, Emily!
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