Woollen Gymnasium and Woollen | |
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| Location | 300 South Road, Chapel Hill, N.C., United States[1] |
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| Coordinates | 35°54′33.65″N 79°2′45.13″W / 35.9093472°N 79.0458694°W |
| Owner | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill[1] |
| Operator | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill[1] |
| Capacity | 4,500–6,000[N 1] |
| Field size | 303 by 175 feet (92 by 53 m) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1937 |
| Opened | 1938 |
| Renovated | 2004, 2009–2012 |
| Expanded | 1942 |
| Construction cost | $646,000 (including swimming pool) |
| Architect | Atwood and Weeks |
| Main contractors | J. A. Jones Construction Company (general construction) Reliance Engineering Company (heating) |
| Tenants | |
| North Carolina Tar Heels (NCAA) Men's basketball (1938–1965) | |
The Charles T. Woollen Gymnasium (commonly known as the Woollen Gymnasium or Woollen) is a building used for physical education classes, recreational activity for students, and office spaces. It was the home of North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team from January 2, 1939, through February 27, 1965, across twenty-six seasons. Due to increased demand for viewing the varsity basketball team and limited capacity at then home court the Tin Can, school president Frank Porter Graham and Charles T. Woollen requested public funds for a new gymnasium and women's dormitory. After being rejected at the federal level, the North Carolina Public Works would award a grant of $283,090 to build a new gymnasium and the school would have to fundraise to cover the cost's remainder. The plans for the building included multi–level building that included an attached swimming pool, along with a main lobby that would overlook the main gymnasium area. Construction stretched from 1937 to 1938 and, upon completion, was seen as "modern" and one of the highest–quality basketball facilities in the Southern Conference.
The gym was first used competitively for intramural fencing in the spring of 1938. The Tar Heels had great success in the building, winning several conference championships and even winning the national championship to culminate a perfect season in 1956–57. As the Tar Heels increased in popularity and demand increased, Woollen began to be viewed as small. The university began moving some of its home games to Charlotte or Greensboro to allow for more to attend and bring in more revenue. The Tar Heels left for Carmichael Auditorium before the start of the 1965–66 season, an auditorium that was built attached to Woollen as per stipulated by the funds awarded by the North Carolina legislature. After the Tar Heels' departure, the facility was frequently used for course registration, pick–up basketball, and now the Exercise and Sports Science department is based in the building.
- ^ a b c "Plan Room - Woollen Gym (047)". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Facilities Services. 2019. Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Quincy 1962, p. 3.
- ^ "Those Sweatbox Days Are Nearly Over As Woollen Gym Is Starting To Grow". The Daily Tar Heel. December 12, 1963. p. 1. Retrieved October 18, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Dick Barley (December 12, 1958). "Antiquated Woollen Gym Seating Problem". The Daily Tar Heel. p. 6. Retrieved October 18, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Wade & Barkley 1958, p. 2.
- ^ Wade & Houston 1959, p. 17.
- ^ Wade & Houston 1960, p. 2.
- ^ Wade 1961, p. 45.
- ^ Quincy 1963, p. 3.
- ^ Quincy 1964, p. 4.
- ^ Wade 1953, p. 1.
- ^ Wade & McGuire 1955, p. 2.
- ^ Wade & Merritt 1956, p. 2.
- ^ Wade et al. 1957, p. 1.
- ^ a b Harding Menzies (August 18, 1945). "Woollen Gym Is Crowning Achievement Of 20-Year Plan For Phys Ed Facility". The Daily Tar Heel. p. 3. Retrieved October 18, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Wade 1949, p. 12.
- ^ Wade 1950, p. 2.
- ^ Wade 1951, p. 6.
- ^ Wade 1952, p. 18.
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