Standing 43 feet (13 m) tall in the center of Francis Quadrangle and at the south end of the Avenue of the Columns, they are the remains of the portico of Academic Hall.

In the next few months after the fire, many people thought that the Columns were an eyesore that blocked the view of the new buildings (Red Campus) being constructed on the Quadrangle.

A local newspaper reported that Gideon F. Rothwell, the university's president, had ordered two mule teams to pull down and remove the Columns.

Jerry S. Dorsey, a leading Columbia citizen, led a protest against their removal, saying that "the Columns could not be pulled down by a herd of elephants".

Academic Hall and the Columns are also featured in murals in the Boone County Courthouse and the Columbia Municipal Court.