The college closed at the outset of the Civil War in 1861 as many of the male students left to fight in the Confederate Army. The college’s isolation protected it during the first half of the war, but it was eventually occupied by Union troops. The school briefly reopened in 1864 but it was forced to close by the Union Army and used the main hall as a barracks, and dormitories were converted into stables. By the end of the war, the campus grounds were trampled and damaged and the buildings were left in a state of ruin. The college’s trustees sold part of the campus to raise funds for repairs. By the early 1900s was the most prosperous in the school’s history, as enrollment never dropped below 200 students. On March 5, 1906, the main building was destroyed by fire and a new building was built in 1907 and still remains today. However, Burritt College suffered as two new colleges opened, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro and (formally known as Dixie College) Tennessee Tech University (TTU) in Cookeville, and the school was forced to close in 1939.  

Unique Visit Code:

1737133994

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