WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Galloway Hall on the campus of UNCW is being torn down Thursday, July 11.

According to the university, Galloway Hall was built in 1970 and opened for students in 1971. The building was originally named Dorm ‘71. The name changed a few years later in honor of Edmund Galloway, a student who died in a bicycle accident in 1974.

There are also rumors that Galloway was the first air-conditioned dorm in the state, but the university could not confirm that information at this time.

Galloway was last open for student housing in the spring of 2020.

Kim Croom Smith went to UNCW in the 1980′s and worked as a resident advisor at Galloway. She says she’ll always cherish the memories she made while living at the dorm.

“You could see everything from there,” said Smith. ”Galloway, everybody from the other places would come to Galloway,” she added.

Smith says she lived on the sixth floor. She says the first three floors were for boys and the top three were for girls.

“Galloway has handled a lot of hurricanes, a lot of storms, a lot of repairs, and that building probably could be gutted and still be there. When a lot of the other things that have been built they have been demolished before Galloway,” said Smith.

Smith says students felt the dorm was old back then, and understands why it needs to come down today.

According to UNCW staff, the dorm costed $1,475,000 to build. In today’s dollars that would be close to $12.5 million. The demolition project cost $2 million.

Staff say there is a need for more housing to accommodate future students. When asked about the remembrance of Edmund Galloway, the school also says it is “continuing to explore ways to ensure his legacy is appropriately remembered.”

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