In 1903, Dr. Thomas Tidball came to Sewanee to teach at St. Luke's. He lived in this house for 23 years and kept up quite an elegant establishment as he was a widower with many servants and frequent dinner parties. After his death various people rented the house. Miss Johnnie Tucker ran it a few years after Old Tuckaway burned and then Mrs. Wright lived there from 1923 to 1934. In 1940 the University purchased the house. The Amblers only asked $2,000 for the house. At this price the University considered it practically a gift. The University remodeled the house into four apartments and called it Ambler Hall. In the 1940s the hall became an “overflow dormitory” for the Sewanee Military Academy. The hall eventually became home to the Sewanee Military Academy Band.

In more recent years Ambler Hall was divided into three apartments for University faculty. The house and its student cottage are presently owned by Dr. and Mrs. J. Edward Carlos.
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In 1903, Dr. Thomas Tidball came to Sewanee to teach at St. Luke's. He lived in this house for 23 years and kept up quite an elegant establishment as he was a widower with many servants and frequent dinner parties. After his death various people rented the house. Miss Johnnie Tucker ran it a few years after Old Tuckaway burned and then Mrs. Wright lived there from 1923 to 1934. In 1940 the University purchased the house. The Amblers only asked $2,000 for the house. At this price the University considered it practically a gift. The University remodeled the house into four apartments and called it Ambler Hall. In the 1940s the hall became an “overflow dormitory” for the Sewanee Military Academy. The hall eventually became home to the Sewanee Military Academy Band.

In more recent years Ambler Hall was divided into three apartments for University faculty. The house and its student cottage are presently owned by Dr. and Mrs. J. Edward Carlos.
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In 1903, Dr. Thomas Tidball came to Sewanee to teach at St. Luke's. He lived in this house for 23 years and kept up quite an elegant establishment as he was a widower with many servants and frequent dinner parties. After his death various people rented the house. Miss Johnnie Tucker ran it a few years after Old Tuckaway burned and then Mrs. Wright lived there from 1923 to 1934. In 1940 the University purchased the house. The Amblers only asked $2,000 for the house. At this price the University considered it practically a gift. The University remodeled the house into four apartments and called it Ambler Hall. In the 1940s the hall became an “overflow dormitory” for the Sewanee Military Academy. The hall eventually became home to the Sewanee Military Academy Band.

In more recent years Ambler Hall was divided into three apartments for University faculty. The house and its student cottage are presently owned by Dr. and Mrs. J. Edward Carlos.
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When Gailor was made Bishop in 1893 he kept it as a summer home where the four Gailor children would grow up. Charlotte Gailor used to say that her parents, whenever the roof leaked, would add a room instead of having the old roof repaired. There were three bathrooms and, depending on one’s definition, six or seven bedrooms. When the living room was conjured up, with its own fireplace, a chapel was added at the far end. The Bishop conducted family prayers there every evening, and an occasional baptism and even confirmation. After his death in 1935 the house was inherited by Miss Charlotte Gailor, his daughter and the chapel was deconsecrated. Its altar went to a small church in a neighboring town and Bishop Quintard's stained-glass window is now in the University Chaplain's office, in the cloister of All Saints' Chapel. Two small stained-glass window and a Madonna remained as testimony to the room's original function. Charlotte Gailor lived there till her death in April of 1972. The Gailor House, inherited by Dr. Robert Daniel, her nephew, and then by his children, was sold to the University in the 1980s. It has since been torn down for Chen Hall (1991), the Vice Chancellor’s current residence. ]]>
Gailor, C. (1970). Old Sewanee Houses; The First Fifty-Years, 1860-1910. Unpublished manuscript, Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee.
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When Gailor was made Bishop in 1893 he kept it as a summer home where the four Gailor children would grow up. Charlotte Gailor used to say that her parents, whenever the roof leaked, would add a room instead of having the old roof repaired. There were three bathrooms and, depending on one’s definition, six or seven bedrooms. When the living room was conjured up, with its own fireplace, a chapel was added at the far end. The Bishop conducted family prayers there every evening, and an occasional baptism and even confirmation. After his death in 1935 the house was inherited by Miss Charlotte Gailor, his daughter and the chapel was deconsecrated. Its altar went to a small church in a neighboring town and Bishop Quintard's stained-glass window is now in the University Chaplain's office, in the cloister of All Saints' Chapel. Two small stained-glass window and a Madonna remained as testimony to the room's original function. Charlotte Gailor lived there till her death in April of 1972. The Gailor House, inherited by Dr. Robert Daniel, her nephew, and then by his children, was sold to the University in the 1980s. It has since been torn down for Chen Hall (1991), the Vice Chancellor’s current residence. ]]>
Gailor, C. (1970). Old Sewanee Houses; The First Fifty-Years, 1860-1910. Unpublished manuscript, Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee.
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When Gailor was made Bishop in 1893 he kept it as a summer home where the four Gailor children would grow up. Charlotte Gailor used to say that her parents, whenever the roof leaked, would add a room instead of having the old roof repaired. There were three bathrooms and, depending on one’s definition, six or seven bedrooms. When the living room was conjured up, with its own fireplace, a chapel was added at the far end. The Bishop conducted family prayers there every evening, and an occasional baptism and even confirmation. After his death in 1935 the house was inherited by Miss Charlotte Gailor, his daughter and the chapel was deconsecrated. Its altar went to a small church in a neighboring town and Bishop Quintard's stained-glass window is now in the University Chaplain's office, in the cloister of All Saints' Chapel. Two small stained-glass window and a Madonna remained as testimony to the room's original function. Charlotte Gailor lived there till her death in April of 1972. The Gailor House, inherited by Dr. Robert Daniel, her nephew, and then by his children, was sold to the University in the 1980s. It has since been torn down for Chen Hall (1991), the Vice Chancellor’s current residence.
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Taken in 1080p 60fps.]]> Standard YouTube License]]> Standard YouTube License]]> On a campus known for its historic buildings Rebel's Rest has always stood out at Sewanee the University of the South.

The log cabin style residence was built in 1866 for one of the University's founders, George Fairbanks.

Wednesday night the building sustained heavy damage in a fire that appears to have started on the upper level.

"When I came here it was engulfed in flames and it was a shock to see," said Sewanee graduate Jaina Patel.

Rebel's Rest is the only structure remaining on campus from the University's re-founding after the Civil War.

Sewanee Professor Waring McCrady says the building is important for more than its history though.

Many students and alumni have known the place in modern times as a location for receptions and the University's Guest House.

"Really does symbolize historic continuity and devotion to this place," said McCrady.

That's why the fire is hitting so many people personally at Sewanee.
Students and alumni like Patel stopped to take pictures Thursday afternoon.

Even people who aren't affiliated with Sewanee like Bob Burns stopped to look at the damage.

"This building in particular has so much meaning to so many people," said Burns.

As chance would have it though the fire does have a silver lining.
Three of the most priceless art pieces, including a portrait of the original resident George Fairbanks were moved recently for renovations.

It remains to be seen if those paintings might someday return home but McCrady is among those who believe it's possible.

He believes there's enough left on the bottom level of the residence to rebuild.

"There's enough here to work with even if they have to pull it down to the ground and build it back up. They got the pieces for the facade," said McCrady.


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