A Historical Timeline of the Buildings at the UNC Asheville Campus in north Asheville

1960s

Phillips Hall (1961): The University’s main administration building, Phillips Hall, was completed in 1961. In 1970, the building was officially named in honor of Robert F. Phillips, a member of the UNC Board of Governors and the Asheville-Biltmore College Board of Trustees.

Rhoades Hall (1961): Rhoades Hall was named in honor of Verne Rhoades, a prominent Western North Carolina scientific forester, whose family donated land to create W.T. Weaver Blvd., an important access route to the University.  Rhoades Hall was completed in 1961. 

Justice Center (1963): Charles “Choo-Choo” Justice began his extraordinary football career on the Asheville High football team. After serving in World War II, Justice was an all-American at UNC Chapel Hill and went on to play for the Washington Redskins. The Justice Center was named for the outstanding local athlete in 1973, 10 years after the building’s construction.

Physical Plant (1963): This building houses the departments of Facilities Management and Design and Construction.  It is scheduled to be removed in the next 2-3 years when the new Sam Millar Campus Operations Center opens in 2006

Lipinsky Hall (1964): Constructed in 1964 as the campus’s first student union, Lipinsky Hall was named for local businessman and community leader Louis Lipinsky. A trustee of Asheville-Biltmore College, a UNC Asheville predecessor institution, Lipinsky was instrumental in generating support for the 1958 and 1961 bond referenda which funded the move from Seely’s Castle to the present site of the campus.

Ramsey Library (1965): Editor of The Asheville Citizen, and city and state official, D. Hiden Ramsey was the first chairman of the statewide Board of Higher Education. Ramsey Library was constructed in 1965 and was the first building on campus to be named. 

Carmichael Hall (1966): Constructed in 1966, Carmichael Hall was named after Dr. Oliver Cromwell Carmichael, former chairman of North Carolina’s Board of Higher Education. Regarded as one of the leading educators in America, Carmichael was a Rhodes Scholar and British Army volunteer. He later served as president of the University of Alabama, chancellor of Vanderbilt University and president of the New York Board of Regents. 

Governors Village (1967):  Named after the North Carolina governors most associated with education (except for Samuel Ashe, namesake of Asheville), the Governor’s Village was the college’s first residence hall complex.  The buildings were designed small so as to be homier and housed two students in each room.  Three of the original buildings were torn down in 2001 to make way for Governor’s Hall.  Six remain and will be replaced in the next two years.

1970s

Weizenblatt Hall (1972): Constructed in 1972, the student health center was named for Dr. Sprinza Weizenblatt. An Asheville physician and philanthropist, she was a longtime supporter of the University and provided multiple scholarships for students.

Zageir Hall (1975): Constructed in 1975, Zageir Hall was named after Coleman Zageir, a longtime supporter of the University. He and his wife, Helen, created the Sara and Joseph Breman Fund, the first major donation of its kind earmarked for endowing support for a faculty member.

Carol Belk Theatre (1976): The 1976 construction of the Carol Belk theatre was made possible by Irwin Belk of Charlotte, a generous supporter of higher education and former North Carolina senator and congressman. President of The Belk Group (department stores), Belk served two terms on the UNC Board of Governors. His contribution paid for the theatre’s lighting system and was given in honor of his wife, Carol Grotnes Belk. 

Owen Hall (1979): Charles D. Owen, local textiles mogul and founder of Owen Manufacturing Company, contributed 835 shares of company stock to UNC Asheville’s Management & Accountancy Department. Owen Hall, home to the department, was built and named for Owen in 1979.

1980s

Highsmith University Center (1982): Named after the University’s First Chancellor, the William E. Highsmith University Center was the University’s second student union.  It was removed in the fall of 2001 to make way for the new Highsmith University Union.

Founders Hall (1982): Constructed at the same time as the Highsmith University Center, Founder’s Hall was the second residence hall built at UNC Asheville.  It was known for several years as Highrise until 1997 when it was renamed in honor of the men and women who help found UNC Asheville and its predecessor institutions.

Mills Residence Hall (1987): Ernest and Albina Mills established a number of important endowments at the University, including the Mills Foundation, which provides a variety of scholarships for students. Ernest was the founder of the Asheville-based Mills Manufacturing, the leading military parachute manufacturer in the world. Mills Residence Hall, the University’s third residence hall, was constructed in 1987 and named in their honor in 1989.  During the interim period it was known as University Hall.

Robinson Hall (1988): Built in 1988, Robinson Hall was named for Asheville optometrist and environmentalist Samuel Robinson.

1990s

Karpen Hall (1990): Constructed in 1990, Karpen Hall was named in honor of Morris and Leah Karpen, prominent community leaders and major contributors to the University. Morris was the founder of Karpen Steel, a high-quality door and frame manufacturer. Leah was the first graduate of UNC Asheville’s Master of the Liberal Arts program. The building was dedicated in 1991 and was known as New Classroom Building until that time. 

Southridge (1994) & Westridge (1998): The University’s fourth and fifth residence halls, Southridge and Westridge were constructed in 1994 and 1998, respectively.

 University Dining Hall (1996): Opened in the spring of 1996, the University Dining Hall was the University third dining hall replacing the one housed in the Highsmith University Center.  The first dining hall was in the basement of Lipinsky Hall.

Health & Fitness Center (1996):  The Health & Fitness Center is the University’s first facility dedicated to student recreation.  It was completed in 1996.

2000s

Reuter Center: Built in 2003, the Reuter Center houses the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement. The center is named in honor of Irving J. Reuter, a former General Motors executive, and his wife Janet, both founders of the Janirve Foundation, which provided the largest contribution to the construction of the center. 

Governor’s Hall (2003):  Opened in the fall of 2003, Governor’s Hall is the University’s sixth residence hall and represents the first phase of the replacement of Governor’s Village.

Highsmith University Union (2004): Constructed in 2004, the union honors longtime University president and first chancellor William E. Highsmith. Highsmith was named president of Asheville-Biltmore College in 1962, a UNC Asheville predecessor institution, and then served as chancellor of UNC Asheville from 1969-1984.

New Hall (2005): Humanities and Languages

Sam Millar Campus Operations Center (2006): The center will be named for Sam Millar, long-time director of facilities at UNC Asheville. It will house Facilities Management, Design and Construction, and University Printing Services.

Zeis Hall (2007): Named for Steve and Frosene Zeis in honor of the largest gift ever given to the University.  A non-degreed alumnus of Asheville-Biltmore college, Steve Zeis started his own firm, ZTM Sales and Service Inc, in 1983 representing some of Europe’s most prominent textile machinery manufacturers in the United States and Canada.  Frosene, an Asheville native and honors graduate with a degree in business from the former St. Genevieve of the Pines School in Asheville, managed the business side of ZTM. The new building will house the departments of Biology, Chemistry, and Multimedia Arts and Sciences. 

North Carolina Center for Health & Wellness Promotion (2008): The new building will offer expanded recreation facilities, house the new Health and Wellness major, as well as the UNC Asheville Health and Counseling Centers.

Compiled by the Office of Public Information and Office of Alumni