Academic Hall was the original main building of the University of Missouri . It was dedicated in 1843 and destroyed by fire in 1892. Academic Hall's six Ionic columns, today known as The Columns , stand on Francis Quadrangle as the most recognizable symbol of the University of Missouri.
67-464: Academic Hall was built between 1840 and 1843 from plans drawn by Stephen Hills , designer of the first Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City (which only lasted from 1837 until burning in 1840). Academic Hall was dedicated in 1843. It consisted of a domed central section of three stories, with two wings that were added in 1885, and housed both educational and administrative facilities. Brick for
134-556: A 30-acre site that could have a hospital built on a budget of £7–8 million. Work started on building the hospital in 1973 and it was commissioned in 1977, opening in 1979. In the 17th century, a free grammar school was founded here; it was built on the churchyard's west side, and remained there until 1846, now used as a museum. The church has been Grade I listed since 1951. A Mk. IV tank built in Lincoln and used in World War I
201-554: A Danish Viking raid, who were granted land by a Saxon Lord for their resistance. The name comes from the Old English æscet , indicating a ford near a clump of ash trees . At the time of the Domesday Book of 1086 it was still known by its original Saxon name of Essetesford (or Eshetisford , Esselesford , Asshatisforde , Essheford ). The manor was owned by Hugh de Montfort , Constable of England and companion of William
268-506: A Picturehouse cinema. The Designer Outlet was redeveloped in a £90 million expansion project. An expansion of the Jasmin Vardimon Company is also planned. The former railway works is being redeveloped into Ashford International Studios , a combined cinema studios, hotel and residential apartments. It is expected to open in 2025. The motto of Ashford Borough Council is "With stronger faith", taken from To Lucasta, Going to
335-414: A charter to hold a market for livestock. The pottery industry expanded in the 13th and 14th centuries, with the main works based at what is now Potter's Corner, a few miles west of the town centre. Later evidence from examining waste suggests that production was on a large scale. The Kent Archaeological society have discovered sandy ware at this location dating from around 1125 – 1250. Jack Cade , who led
402-673: A controversial four lane ring road together with the multi-storey Charter House building led to the destruction of significant parts of the old town although some areas were spared and preserved. Other changes in the last 40 years include the construction of the County Square shopping centre, the redevelopment of the Templer Barracks at Repton Park, the Finberry estate to the southeast, and the award-winning Ashford Designer Outlet . There has been evidence of human habitation around Ashford since
469-486: A disastrous fire, rumored to have been caused by the first electric light bulb west of the Mississippi River. The Athenaeum Society was to give an exhibition in the chapel of Academic Hall, and as the audience began to assemble, a small blaze appeared around the base of the central chandelier. A hole was immediately cut in the floor of the main library above, and water was turned on from the pressure system installed when
536-638: A judicial writ that delayed the destruction of the Columns, and an architect soon declared that they would be structurally sound. The protest from Columbia citizens and the reassurance that the Columns did not pose a safety hazard led Rothwell and the other curators to have a change of heart in December 1893, and the Columns would remain. 38°56′47″N 92°19′44″W / 38.9463°N 92.3288°W / 38.9463; -92.3288 Stephen Hills Stephen Hills (August 10, 1771 – October 17, 1844)
603-522: A local health unit were cancelled in 2012. The main building was threatened with demolition, but saved in 2015, with plans to turn it into accommodation. The main hospital in Ashford is William Harvey Hospital , in nearby Willesborough . It is named after William Harvey , the doctor who discovered the blood circulatory system . The hospital was built because the government decided the old hospital would be too small for demand as Ashford grew, and looked for
670-419: A local landmark since the 13th century, and expanded in the 15th. Today, the church functions in a dual role as a centre for worship and entertainment. The arrival of the railways from the mid 19th century onwards, created a significant source of employment contributing to the town's growth as a rail hub at the centre of five distinct railway lines. The high speed rail line ( HS1 High Speed 1 ) between London and
737-700: A major town for growth. In 2001, Ashford was identified as one of four key areas for expansion in South East England. Subsequently, the Ashford's Future Company was set up to support a mix of publicly and privately funded projects in the town. The soup manufacturer Batchelors became a significant employer in Ashford when they opened a £2.5m factory in Willesborough, east of the town centre, in 1957. A substantial proportion of Batchelors staff moved from their main production unit in Sheffield to Ashford. The factory
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#1732855158253804-727: A new food piazza. Part of this expansion was the installation of Europe's largest living wall, comprising more than 120,000 plants. The expansion was formally opened in November 2019. A Waitrose store opened in November 2009 on the former Templar Barracks site, followed by a John Lewis store in November 2013. The Debenhams store closed in January 2020, while the John Lewis store closed in March 2021. In 2014, Ashford Borough Council launched AshfordFor, an inward investment campaign, which has helped support
871-479: A new £25m college campus. The extension of Victoria Road has created new development space in Ashford, though plans to build a Morrisons supermarket here were scrapped in May 2014. In 2012, Ashford Borough Council predicted there would be a net gain of 620 jobs per year. The increase in the town's commercial importance, as well as its strategic location, is witnessed by the number of industry, business and retail parks in
938-519: A pub and shops. A large factor in Ashford's recent redevelopment has been Ashford Borough Council's 'Big 8' strategy. This centred on eight major projects designed to add cultural and economic value to the town. The first proposed was the Commercial Quarter near the station, which opened in 2018, and the second was a new junction 10A of the M20 motorway. The first of the housing projects to make progress
1005-480: A rebellion against corrupt Royal officials in 1450, may have had links to Ashford. In William Shakespeare 's Henry VI, Part 2 , Cade converses with "Dick, the Butcher from Ashford". In the 16th and 17th centuries, Ashford became known for nonconformism . A local resident, John Brown, was executed for heresy in 1517, and may have inspired the later namesake of the song " John Brown's Body ". Thomas Smythe acquired
1072-579: A row of houses in Elwick Road, until the civic centre was opened by the Duchess of Kent on 8 December 1983. To accommodate a growing population in the area, the Finberry estate began construction in 2013. It is a 168-hectare (420-acre) site to the southeast of the town centre, which opened various houses, workspaces and shops in a series of phases through the remainder of the decade. It is planned to cater for 1,180 homes. The development also includes plans for
1139-596: A settlement. The Borough of Ashford lies on the eastern edge of the ancient forest of "Andredsweald" or "Anderida". This originally stretched as far west as Hampshire and formed the basis from which the Weald is formed. The original town of Ashford, like many other settlements, has outgrown its original size and has combined with smaller villages in a conurbation . Clockwise these villages include Bockhanger , Kennington , Willesborough , Sevington , Singleton and Great Chart . In addition, housing estates have been built in
1206-456: A symbol of the campus and form the center of Francis Quadrangle , the oldest part of campus. In the next few months after the fire, many thought of the Columns as an eyesore that blocked the view of the new buildings being constructed on the Quadrangle. Some even feared that they were structurally unsound and a safety hazard. In August 1893, the board of curators issued a resolution that called for
1273-518: A targets of 31,000 new homes and 28,000 new jobs in the area. In 2005 a Channel 4 poll ranked Ashford the fourth-best place to live in the United Kingdom. However, the formation of the coalition government in 2010 saw regional planning targets scrapped, along with growth area status. Ashford has continued to develop, with new homes planned for urban areas such as Repton Park, Park Farm, Singleton and Chilmington, and planning permission granted for
1340-409: A twinning with Ashford in 1984. During the early and mid-20th century, print and media became a noted industry in Ashford. The Headley Brothers, a printing services company, was founded in 1881 and by the mid-1950s printed and exported over 2 million books. The business closed in 2017 and the factory was demolished two years later. The Letraset company set up an arts material factory in Ashford in
1407-524: A visit to the Rhineland with Winston Churchill . Wiles arranged several other exchange visits between British and German families, at a time where travel between the two countries was rare. He was declared an honorary citizen of Bad Münstereifel in 1961, which led to the two towns being formally twinned in 1964. Bad Münstereifel was twinned with the French town of Fougères , Brittany two years later, which led to
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#17328551582531474-565: A year, though the town generally has less rainfall than areas closer to the North Downs . The area around the Stour, particularly south of the station, is prone to flooding, which means it has been generally uninhabited. Recent development has been possible by putting foundations on concrete stilts. The nearest official Met Office station is located in Faversham , which is 12 miles (19 km) north of
1541-524: A young woman. She was the first of ninety-six casualties of the raid which included sixty-one killed in Folkestone by a single bomb. In the late 1920s an Ordnance Depot was established at Ashford; it remained in use until 1996. The town was a target in the Battle of Britain during World War II , including an attack on 15 September 1940. During the latter war ultimately 94 civilians were lost to enemy action in
1608-602: Is now owned by Premier Foods . Proprietary Perfumes Ltd (PPL), a division of Unilever opened a fragrance and flavour factory and research laboratory next door to the Batchelors factory in 1962. It was subsequently renamed as Quest International and purchased by Givaudan in 2007. The wholesale frozen food firm Brake Brothers was established in 1957. Initially based at nearby Lenham , it later moved to Ashford and expanded. The current European headquarters are in Eureka Park to
1675-595: Is the Ashford Designer Outlet designed by Richard Rogers , which attracts around 3 million customers a year. The centre has won industry awards for Retail Destination of the Year and Best Shopping Venue and has been praised by the British Parking Association for its range of facilities, cleanliness and lack of crime. From 2018 the centre underwent a 100,000 sq. ft expansion, including 40 new stores and
1742-570: The Channel Tunnel passes through Ashford's International Railway Station thus linking the town to Paris and other European destinations. The M20 motorway connects Ashford to the Channel Tunnel , the national motorway network (via the M25 Motorway ) and to London (via the A20 ). Ashford has been marked out for growth in several Government plans from the 1960s onwards. In the 1970s, the construction of
1809-575: The Channel Tunnel Rail Link through Ashford. In Roman Britain , iron ore was mined in the Weald and transported to Ashford where two ironworks processed the ore into a workable metal. Archaeological studies have postulated the existence of a Roman settlement to the north of the current centre, roughly at the junction of Albert Road and Wall Road. The present town originates from an original settlement established in 893 AD by inhabitants escaping
1876-646: The Cinque Ports . By road, Ashford is about 61 miles (98 km) southeast of central London, 13.0 miles (20.9 km) southeast of Maidstone , and 15.3 miles (24.6 km) northwest of Folkestone . The town lies at the intersection of two valleys in Kent – the south edge of the North Downs and the valley of the River Stour , at the confluence of the Great Stour and East Stour rivers. This made it an ideal place for
1943-630: The Iron Age , with a barrow dated to 1500 BC on what is now Barrow Hill. Two axes from the Lower Paleolithic period have been found near Ashford. During the construction of the Park Farm estate in the late 1990s, excavation produced tools from the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic period dating back to the 7th millennium BC. A number of other Mesolithic tools were discovered during construction of
2010-481: The North Downs , about 61 miles (98 km) by road southeast of central London and 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Folkestone by road. At the 2021 census , it had a population of 83,213. The name comes from the Old English æscet , indicating a ford near a clump of ash trees . It has been a market town since the Middle Ages , and a regular market continues to be held. St Mary's Parish Church has been
2077-559: The 1780s, local farmers had begun to hold informal market days, and advertised the town's ideal location between London, Chatham and the Kent Coast. The market was held in the High Street until 1856, when local farmers and businessmen relocated to Elwick Road and formed a market company that is the oldest surviving registered company in England and Wales. There is still a regular street market in
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2144-490: The 1960s. It closed in 2013, following the decline of Letraset and the company's decision to relocate works abroad. Little is left of the old Ashford town centre, apart from a cluster of medieval half-timbered buildings in Middle Row and around the churchyard in the town centre. A number of old buildings were removed to make way for the controversial ring road around the centre, including four public houses. Further demolition
2211-420: The 19th century, though the town was still considered strategically important in the event of an invasion. The Territorial Army established a presence in Ashford in 1910. During World War I , Ashford's importance as a transport hub and its location between the continent and London made it a target for aerial bombing . A bomb, dropped from a Gotha bomber on 25 March 1917, intended for the railway works killed
2278-427: The Columns to be demolished "as soon as convenient." A local paper reported that Gideon F. Rothwell had ordered two mule teams to tear down and haul off the Columns. A leading Columbia citizen by the name of Jerry S. Dorsey led a protest their removal, and stated "the Columns could not be pulled down by a herd of elephants." Rothwell announced that they were coming down even if he had to dynamite them. Dorsey obtained
2345-451: The Conqueror , and had a church, two mills and a value of 150 shillings (£7.50) at the time. One of the earliest houses in the area still in existence is Lake House at Eastwell Park to the north of the town, which contains the grave of Richard Plantagenet . Ashford's importance as an agricultural and market town grew in the 13th century, and in 1243, King Henry III granted the town
2412-632: The Urban District. The Joint Services School of Intelligence was based at Templer Barracks to the west of town. Robert Runcie , later to become the Archbishop of Canterbury , was stationed at Ashford during the war while Prince Andrew attended a course here in 1982 while he was stationed in the Royal Navy . The barracks closed in 1997 to build the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, and the site
2479-482: The Warres , a poem by the 17th-century poet Richard Lovelace who came from the borough. The relevant verse is : True, a new mistress now I chase, The first foe in the field; And with a stronger faith embrace A sword, a horse, a shield. The council's coat of arms uses gold to symbolise richness, three sprigs of ash tree representing former council areas, and a lion to commemorate nearby Tenterden as one of
2546-572: The building was fired on campus and limestone for the Columns was obtained from the nearby Hinkson Creek Valley and was hauled to the building by ox-drawn carts. The role of the University of Missouri in the American military began in 1862, during the American Civil War . Missouri was a border state, and Columbia was a town that had many citizens of southern ancestry, so the university area fell under
2613-536: The center of the city of Lebanon, Pennsylvania 's business district for 148 years until it was demolished in 1965. In 1837 he submitted the Pennsylvania capital design for the first Missouri State Capitol and Governor's Mansion after the government moved to Jefferson City, Missouri . That building burned in 1840. In 1840 he designed Academic Hall at the University of Missouri . The building burned in 1892 but
2680-647: The columns remain on the Francis Quadrangle and are a symbol of the school. After finishing the buildings at the University of Missouri, Hills bought a farm, in Columbia , Illinois , next to his son Thomas' farm. He died on October 17, 1844. Ashford, Kent Ashford is a town in the Ashford district, in the county of Kent , England. It lies on the River Great Stour at the southern or scarp edge of
2747-540: The conflict. During the Union occupation of the library, 467 volumes were taken to construct fires. The Union troops caused other destruction on campus as well, and the board of curators, with Congressman James S. Rollins as their representative, sued for damages. The U.S. government settled the case in 1915, the award was used to build the Memorial Gateway. On Saturday evening January 9, 1892, Academic Hall fell victim to
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2814-401: The elevator was put in. The water supply was quickly exhausted without a significant effect on extinguishing the fire. The fire completely gutted the building by midnight, leaving little more than six stone Ionic columns standing. The fire even spread to the nearby president's residence, but it was extinguished without any significant damage to that structure. The collection in the main library
2881-458: The eye of the federal government. During the war, a number of different Federal regiments were stationed in Columbia and billeted in University buildings. Academic Hall was used to house soldiers, and Union troops interned Confederate prisoners in the main library on the third floor of Academic Hall. Classes were suspended for 10 months because of the troop occupation and because of loss of staff due to
2948-402: The manor of Ashford as dowry from Queen Elizabeth I in the mid-16th century, and is buried in the parish church. John Wallis , the internationally recognised mathematician and one of Isaac Newton 's main tutors was born in Ashford in 1616, but moved to Tenterden in 1625 to avoid the plague . He was a promising student, and subsequently graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge . By
3015-546: The new capitol building in Harrisburg which was completed in 1821. It was destroyed in 1897. In 1817, Hills was hired to design the Lebanon County Courthouse . He used a rectangular building plan with a Greek Revival architectural style which featured an impressive clock tower with four large clock dials, bronze bell and a wooden statue of Lady Justice on the apex. The building was completed in 1818 and stood in
3082-520: The north of the town. In 2017, the Kent-based Curious Brewing constructed a factory on a brownfield site adjacent to Ashford International station in 2017 after a £1.7m crowdfunded cash investment. It opened in May 2019. The train operating company Southeastern partnered with Curious, and advertise the brewery around Ashford International station. In 2004 Regional Planning Guidance set out plans to invest £2.5m in Ashford, including
3149-499: The northeast of town in 2015. Ashford's main library originally opened in 1966 on a war-damaged site on Church Road. In 2010, the building was redeveloped to house Ashford Gateway Plus, which provides local council services in addition to the library itself. Other attractions near the town include Ashford Borough Museum, Godinton House and Gardens and the New Mill at Willesborough, which is Grade II listed. The first cinema in Ashford
3216-517: The open spaces amongst Bybrook, Godinton , Kingsnorth , Park Farm and Stanhope . In 1727, an underground fire was reported in nearby Hinxhill, while an earthquake struck the town on 1 June 1756. The 2007 Kent earthquake , which registered 4.3 on the Richter magnitude scale , was felt in Ashford, though its effects were greatest in Folkestone . Ashford gets around 750 millimetres (30 in) of rain
3283-454: The park has been marked by Ashford Borough Council as a nature reserve. This area includes Victoria Park, which lies to the immediate south of the town centre and the railway. It includes an ornate fountain first shown at the 2nd International Exhibition in London in 1862, and presented to the park by George Harper on 24 July 1912. The Coningbrook Lakes Country Park opened on a former quarry site to
3350-464: The town centre. The town's main shopping centre is County Square, which was built over Hempsted Street and connecting roads, opening in 1973 as the Tufton Centre. In 1989, the centre was renamed to County Square and refurbished by CIN Properties, who added a glass roof. In 2008, the centre was expanded to include 50,000 sq ft of new retail space including a Debenhams store. Outside the town centre
3417-791: The town centre." Ashford now has the oldest surviving St John Ambulance unit. John Furley , founder of the association, was born in Ashford. He established the British Red Cross Society in 1868, gaining support from the Duke of Edinburgh via a royal admiral living at Eastwell Park , close to the town. The Grosvenor Sanatorium opened in 1915 to help patients with tuberculosis , and could cater for 110 male patients, and 78 female. The philosopher Simone Weil lived in Ashford after escaping from France during World War II. She felt guilty about leaving French people behind in suffering and did not eat well. She subsequently contracted tuberculosis and
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#17328551582533484-566: The town's growth. Developers agreeing to invest in the town include Quinn Estates, GRE Assets, U+I and Stanhope . In 2014, Ashford Borough Council launched loveashford.com, a website designed to promote new businesses in the town centre as part of the Portas Pilot scheme, which encourages regeneration of town high streets in decline. Brandon Lewis , High Streets Minister said he would "encourage all businesses in Ashford to sign up and be part of this excellent opportunity to boost their trade in
3551-408: The town, but the market company relocated outside Ashford town centre after part of the 19th-century site was demolished to make way for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link . It is still used by around 5,000 farmers. The Army first established a presence in Ashford in 1797 when it built a garrison on Barrow Hill, and storerooms along what is now Magazine Road. The military presence was scaled back during
3618-553: The town. The 2011 census revealed that the borough of Ashford saw the largest population growth in Kent, with records showing a 14.6% rise to 118,000 inhabitants. Ashford has been targeted as a key area for population development since the 1960s. In 1959, the London County Council negotiated 5000 new homes to be built in Ashford as overspill from London, which created most of what is now South Ashford and Kennington. The Buchanan Report, published in 1967, identified Ashford as
3685-468: The town. These include Waterbrook Park, where there is dedicated space for HGV parking, Eureka Science and Business Park, including manufacturing sites and office complexes; and Orbital Park, the market's current location, which has a regular boot fair. Three modern shopping centres are located in the town. Park Mall opened in 1985 on the former Folkestone Glass Works site and is now managed by Ashford Borough Council, as part of its strategy to regenerate
3752-504: Was Chilmington Green, a 5,750-house development near Ashford's suburbs. A primary school is set to be built as part of the residential development, with planning permission granted in 2022. The first of the Big 8 projects to be fully completed was a new campus for Ashford College , moving from Jemmett Road. The building works on the Elwick Road site cost £16 million, and was completed in 2017. A leisure complex, Elwick Place, opened in 2018 with
3819-523: Was The Picture Palace on Tufton Street, followed by the Odeon on Lower High Street, which opened in 1936 and closed in 1976. The current main cinema in Ashford is a 12 screen theatre in Eureka Leisure Park to the north of town. In 2013, Ashford Borough Council announced plans to build a new cinema in the town, using vacant land off Elwick Road. Construction of the six-screen Picturehouse cinema (along with
3886-426: Was a total loss except those books that were checked out. The contents of the law library were partially salvaged. The wall of the museum was smashed in, and the exhibits were dragged out into the snow, including the controversial Emperor the elephant. After the fire, there was a campaign to move the University to Sedalia; however, Columbia was able to rally against the move. The columns, which still stand today, became
3953-501: Was an architect notable for designing the original Pennsylvania State Capitol . Hills was born in Ashford, Kent in England on August 10, 1771. Hills married Margaret Ashby in 1794 and emigrated to the Boston , Massachusetts soon afterwards. In 1801 he moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania after receiving to design and build houses there. He was also a Duke player of the year. In 1810, he
4020-406: Was built over the tank in 1988. H.S. Pledge & Sons Ltd built two flour mills in Ashford, and became an important employer in the town. The first opened on Victoria Road in 1890 while the second opened on East Hill in 1901. The mills closed in 1972 and were both partially destroyed by subsequent fires. The East Hill Mill fire occurred in 1974, but the main six-storey tower block survived. It
4087-474: Was employed by Bucher, Crouch and Dorsey, to remodel the Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Court House in preparation for a temporary capitol when the government moved from Lancaster to Harrisburg in 1812. In March 1816 William Strickland and James C. Lavelier submitted plans for a new larger capital but the costs at $ 300,000 were more than the state could afford. In 1819, Hill submitted the winning proposal for
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#17328551582534154-491: Was moved to the sanatorium where she died in 1943. A section of the old Ashford Bypass is now named Simone Weil Avenue, while the sanatorium subsequently became the Ashford Police Training Centre . Ashford Hospital opened to the west of town on 3 August 1928, replacing a smaller 19th century building in town. It has more recently been used as a health centre and retirement home but plans to redevelop it into
4221-407: Was originally used for trade, but during the early 20th century its role expanded to cover dinners, dances and trade shows. The building was extended to improve capacity in the 1930s. It was demolished in 1963. The Ashford Green Corridor is a linear park alongside the two main rivers through the town, which is protected from development by lying on the main flood plain. Most of the area covered by
4288-519: Was presented to the town on 1 August 1919 to thank the townsfolk for their war efforts. It is situated in St Georges Square near the town centre. For some years, electricity provider Seeboard fitted an electricity substation inside the tank, but this has now been removed; the substation is cited as the reason the tank was not reclaimed during World War II for its metal to be used, as happened with other tanks gifted to municipalities. A protective cover
4355-445: Was required to build Charter House, an eight-story office building for Charter Consolidated, that opened in 1975. Charter subsequently moved back to London in 1985, and the building is now being converted into flats, though progress stalled owing to the discovery of asbestos . Charter compensated for the demolition by funding a restoration scheme on North Street, preserving several historic buildings. The borough council operated from
4422-578: Was sold to developers in 2002, Repton Manor House, in the centre of the barracks, is a Grade II listed building and remains intact. Ashford has been associated with the German town Bad Münstereifel since the 20th century. British forces occupied the town in 1919 under the command of Major J Goode, following the end of the war. Goode subsequently formed close friendships with some Bad Münstereifel residents. John Wiles, Major Goode's brother in law, later became mayor of New Romney in 1946, and subsequently arranged
4489-459: Was used as a nightclub until 2014, when the nearby Ashford School , which acquired the building in 2011, decided not to renew the lease. The Victoria Mills were almost completely destroyed by a fire in September 1984, and the remainder of the building had to be demolished. The Corn Exchange, situated at the junction of Bank Street and Elwick Road, opened on 3 December 1861. As the name implies, it
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