The Andrew Dickson White House, commonly referred to as the "A.D. White House," is a Second Empire house on the campus of Cornell University

Cornell University

Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...

, designed by William Henry Miller

William Henry Miller (architect)

William Henry Miller was an American architect and the first graduate of the architecture school at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.Born in 1848 in Trenton, New York, Miller graduated from Cornell in 1872...

 and Charles Babcock

Charles Babcock

Charles Babcock was a United States architect, academic, Episcopal priest and founding member of the American Institute of Architects....

. It currently houses the Cornell University Society for the Humanities.

The house was commissioned in 1871 by Andrew Dickson White

Andrew Dickson White

Andrew Dickson White was a U.S. diplomat, historian, and educator, who was the co-founder of Cornell University.-Family and personal life:...

, its namesake, and co-founder and first president of the university. The house is richly decorated with stone carvings according to White's tastes, intended to remind students of men's accomplishments and inspire them to higher purpose and an appreciation of beauty. White left the house to the university for the perpetual use of later presidents. Presidents still use the study on the southeast side of the building as a private office/retreat.

In 1953, the house was renovated for use as the University Art Museum

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art

The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art is an art museum located on the northwest corner of the Arts Quad on the main campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. It is most well known for its distinctive concrete facade, its collection which includes two windows from Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin...

, and its carriage house converted into what is now the Big Red Barn, a graduate student lounge. It served in this role until 1973, and was considered for demolition. Henry Guerlac

Henry Guerlac

Henry Edward Guerlac was an American historian of science. He taught at Cornell University where he was the Goldwin Smith Professor of History and a member of the Department of History....

, Director of the university's Society for the Humanities, led the cause to prevent its destruction and have it placed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

in 1973. The house library is now called the Guerlac Room in his honor.