Baughman Center

The Baughman Center consists of two buildings located along Lake Alice on the University of Florida campus. The main building is a 1500sqft nondenominational chapel or pavilion, while the other one is an 1000sqft administrative building. The chapel has seating for 96 people and is used for silent meditation, private contemplation, weddings, funerals and memorial services as well as a venue for small musical or performing arts events. The center, named after Dr. George F. Baughman and his wife, Hazel Baughman, the benefactors of the project and is considered an oasis of calm and beauty on the bustling campus. On April 18, 2012, the American Institute of Architects's Florida Chapter ranked the Baughman Center third on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places.HistoryThe Baughman Center was the brainchild of Dr. Baughman, a university alumnus, who was the first president of New College of Florida He was inspired by the picture of a building he found in a National Geographic magazine — perhaps the Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes, California (1951) designed by Lloyd Wright, or possibly one of the northwest Arkansas chapels designed by E. Fay Jones (Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, 1980, or the Mildred Borum Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista, 1987). The Baughmans donated $1 million towards the project and after five years of planning, construction started. The building was completed in 2000. George Baughman died on December 24, 2004, and his memorial service was held in the center on December 30.