The Marion Garden Club has selected Judson College as its Yard of the Month for the month of April.
Judson was founded by members of Siloam Baptist Church in 1838 as the Judson Female Institute, and the first campus building was built on land given by Julia Tarrant Barron, a Marion resident and the only woman officially recognized as a founder of Judson. Barron’s original parcel of land is still the heart of campus today. Judson opened January 7, 1839, and is the nation’s fifth oldest women’s college. The college was named for Ann Hasseltine Judson, the first female foreign missionary from the United States. Ann Judson traveled with her husband Adoniram to the country of Burma (now Myanmar) in the early 19th century and spent the rest of her life there educating women and girls, training indigenous church leaders, and translating the Bible into the native languages of those she served.
The campus of Judson College is the focal point of the Judson College Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on February 3, 1993. The campus buildings feature colonial revival, classical revival, and Greek revival architectural styles. The grounds are brightened by flowering trees, shrubs, flower beds, and rose gardens and is anchored by several Alabama Champion Trees.
The campus owes its enduring beauty to the work and care of many people; among those are Dr. Thomas Wilson, Professor of Biology at the college for the last 46 years, who has spearheaded many efforts to plant, identify, and label notable trees on campus, including the Alabama Champion Trees. Upkeep of the campus grounds is managed by the Judson College Facilities and Maintenance Staff, headed by Jim O’Neal, Superintendent of Facilities and Security. Full-time maintenance and grounds staff include Lee Andrew Mims, James Huey, Jerry Hobson, Leigh Hobson, Dave Mitcham, and Hosea Rutledge. The grounds staff is assisted in their work by Camellia Ridge Landscaping, owned by Dean Tolar.
Judson is most appreciative to the Marion Garden Club for selecting the campus for this honor, and the College community is grateful to the many people who keep the campus beautiful.
For more information about the Judson campus and grounds, contact Leigh Hobson at 334-693-5100.