Limestone College history

In 1859, when Doctor Thomas Curtis, was returning from a visit to the North, he perished in a shipboard fire on Chesapeake Bay.

The site was often referred to as “Nesbitt’s Quarry.” It was acquired by Limestone prior to the Civil War and was sold to pay debts in 1883.

In 1923, Doctor Lodge was succeeded by Doctor Robert C. Granberry.

Both the Hamrick Hall of Science, a gift from Doctor Hamrick who was then serving as chair of the Board of Trustees, and the Carroll School of Fine Arts, a gift from longtime benefactor James A. Carroll, were completed in 1925.

Their attire is a far cry from the dress and deportment of the first young ladies enrolled in the female seminary organized there in 1945.

Fullerton Auditorium, completed in 1964 and seating nearly 1,000 guests, continues to provide one of the finest performance venues in the area.

Following the death of Doctor Eastwood in 1966, Limestone experienced many of the challenges facing other higher education institutions during those turbulent years.

Facilities for intercollegiate athletics improved dramatically in 1976 with the opening of the Timken Physical Education Center, which contained a 1,500-seat basketball arena and an aquatic center.

In 1984, the men’s golf team brought home Limestone’s first national title, winning the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Championship.

Limestone added a men’s baseball program in 1987 and selected as its first coach former major league pitcher and future Hall of Fame member Gaylord Perry.

Doctor Walt Griffin became president of Limestone College in 1992, at a time when the institution was experiencing dwindling enrollment, major financial deficits, and deteriorating buildings.

It first offered distance learning courses in 1997.

In October 2005, Limestone dedicated the Walt Griffin Physical Education Center containing a state-of-the-art Fitness Center and athletic training facilities, a wrestling practice area, locker rooms, classrooms, and offices.

The former YMCA building on campus was acquired by Limestone in 2010 and renovated for both academic and student service uses as part of the Timken Center.

A new residence hall, with a capacity of 96 students, was opened in early 2011.

A building in downtown Gaffney was leased by the College in 2012 primarily for use by the Music Department.

Limestone acquired two nearby apartment complexes, The Cedars and Walton Ridge, for student housing in 2013.

The Bob Campbell Field House, providing locker facilities for 477 student-athletes, opened in the fall of 2014.

At the corner of O’Neal and Griffith Streets, the 200-bed Walter W. Brown Residence Hall opened in the fall of 2016.

Doctor Darrell Parker, who took the reins as Limestone’s President in January of 2018, recommended the term “Drive To University” to symbolize the steps the school would be taking over the following two years to change its name.

Shannon Hamrick Park, which opened in the spring of 2019 near Limestone’s baseball stadium, was made possible by a gift from Barry and Judy Hamrick in memory of their late son.

After preparing for the move for over two years, Limestone College officially changed its name to Limestone University on July 1, 2020.