Change to the BJU campus is inevitable, and the area in front of Rodeheaver Auditorium — God’s Glory Garden — is no exception.
In 1965, BJU converted the large greenspace into a three-tiered rectangular pool complete with many fountain sprays that were colorfully lit at night. Additionally, a circular island was placed in the middle that became the burial plot for the Jones family when Dr. Bob Jones died in 1968. While the pool improved the campus’ appearance, its functional purpose was to be part of the new campus air conditioning system.
A bridge also replaced the sidewalk that cut across the greenspace. It was lined with globe streetlamps, and within a year, 24 flagpoles were added, each bearing a flag from a different country. Consequently, it was called the Bridge of Nations.
Renovation to God’s Glory Garden
The fountain served its purpose for over 30 years until one day a routine inspection revealed major cracks at the front. Mark Weaver, then manager of projects on campus, said, “We discovered that the fountain was losing thousands of gallons of water over a short period of time due to both evaporation and leaks.” Along with the wasted water, chemicals to treat the water made the fountain too expensive to maintain. It needed a change.
The project design department began planning the renovation. “One of the main objectives of the design was a park setting,” Weaver said. “Dr. Bob (Jones III) wanted a place where the students could go to sit and relax in a soothing atmosphere. So, we needed to spread things out to make room for benches, trees and the fountain.”
During the summer of 2002, the fountain and bridge were dug up, and the area next to Rodeheaver was filled in. The new pool is two feet deep and holds 330,000 gallons of water — a significant reduction from the original pool that was four feet deep and held one million gallons.
The types of fountains also changed from the former small, misty sprays. Water from the moat around the island cascades down a wide set of steps. Additionally, two large fountains are in the middle, and several small fountains are in front of the bridge.
Special Features of the Garden
The pool is surrounded by sidewalks lined with benches and trees. Two bronze garden statues were also added close to Rodeheaver Auditorium. “School’s In” is a boy wearing regalia and sitting on top of a globe, and “School’s Out” is a boy and girl playing with their schoolbooks on the ground. Jones, who suggested the idea of statues, said, “At first I had something regal in mind, like an angel or a soldier. But after seeing these two statues in a store in Atlanta, I knew they would be perfect.”
The statues were created by Jim Davidson of Atlanta. “School’s In” is dedicated to Dr. Guenter Salter, former chairman of the modern language department and former dean of the College of Arts and Science, who passed away in 2002. “School’s Out” is dedicated to Dr. Charles Joss, former School of Education teacher from 1974 until his death in 1987.
The new garden design included relocating the flags to the edge of the moat and tapering them. However, it is illegal to fly international flags at different heights. Weaver said, “Dr. Bob had the idea of using state flags instead, arranged in order according to the number of current students from each state.” This arrangement was used until BJU replaced the flags with South Carolina state flags about 2015.
The entire area was named God’s Glory Garden after the renovations, but it is still commonly called the fountain and the Bridge of Nations.
