Fonthill Castle and the Administration Building of the College of Mount St. Vincent
Encyclopedia
Fonthill Castle and the Administration Building of the College of Mount St. Vincent are two historic buildings located at the College of Mount Saint Vincent
in The Bronx, New York, New York
.
The Administration Building was built between 1857 and 1859 in the Early Romanesque revival
style. The building was expanded in 1865, 1883, 1906-1908, and in 1951. The original building is a five story red brick building on a fieldstone
base. It features a six story square tower topped by a copper lantern and spire
. The tower is flanked by five story gabled sections.
Fonthill Castle was built in 1852 and is a Gothic Revival
style building consisting of a cluster of six octagonal towers at varying heights. Five of the towers radiate from a three story central tower. Fonthill Castle was the estate of famed Shakespearean actor Edwin Forrest
, who named it for Fonthill Abbey
. In 1942, the castle became the Elizabeth Seton Library and, in 1969, the college admissions office.
They were listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
College of Mount Saint Vincent
For the university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, see Mount Saint Vincent University The College of Mount Saint Vincent is a Catholic liberal arts college located in the northeast corner of the Riverdale section of The Bronx, New York, adjacent to the Yonkers border. It is the northernmost location in...
in The Bronx, New York, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
The Administration Building was built between 1857 and 1859 in the Early Romanesque revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style. The building was expanded in 1865, 1883, 1906-1908, and in 1951. The original building is a five story red brick building on a fieldstone
Fieldstone
Fieldstone is a building construction material. Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally...
base. It features a six story square tower topped by a copper lantern and spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
. The tower is flanked by five story gabled sections.
Fonthill Castle was built in 1852 and is a Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style building consisting of a cluster of six octagonal towers at varying heights. Five of the towers radiate from a three story central tower. Fonthill Castle was the estate of famed Shakespearean actor Edwin Forrest
Edwin Forrest
Edwin Forrest was an American actor.-Early life:Forrest was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of Scottish and German descent. His father died and he was brought up by his mother, a German woman of humble origins. He was educated at the common schools in Philadelphia, and early evinced a taste...
, who named it for Fonthill Abbey
Fonthill Abbey
Fonthill Abbey — also known as Beckford's Folly — was a large Gothic revival country house built around the turn of the 19th century at Fonthill Gifford in Wiltshire, England, at the direction of William Thomas Beckford and architect James Wyatt...
. In 1942, the castle became the Elizabeth Seton Library and, in 1969, the college admissions office.
They were listed 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 1980.