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Memorial Hall (Harvard University)
Encyclopedia
Memorial Hall is an imposing brick building in High Victorian Gothic
style, located on the Harvard University
campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts
. It is a National Historic Landmark
which memorializes the sacrifices made by Harvard students for the Union, and in the architecture community is considered "a symbol of Boston's Commitment to the Unionist cause and the abolitionist movement in America."
. From 1865 to 1868, a fund-raising committee gathered $370,000, then equal to one-twelfth of Harvard's total endowment, which was augmented by an additional $40,000 bequest from Charles Sanders, class of 1802 and college steward 1827-1831, for "a hall or theatre to be used on Commencement days, Class days, Exhibition days, days of the meetings of the society of Alumni, or any other public occasion connected with the College, whether literary or festive."
An architectural competition began in December 1865, with the winning designs submitted by William Robert Ware
, class of 1852, and Henry Van Brunt
, class of 1854. (These initial designs were altered as plans proceeded.) In 1870 the building was named Memorial Hall and its cornerstone laid; Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
, composed a hymn for the occasion. The hall was dedicated for use in 1874, with Sanders Theatre substantially complete in 1875, and the tower completed in 1877. The tower was subsequently destroyed in a 1956 fire but rebuilt in 1999.
In The Bostonians
, Henry James
described it thus: "The Memorial Hall of Harvard consists of three main divisions: one of them a theater, for academic ceremonies; another a vast refectory, covered with a timbered roof, hung about with portraits and lighted by stained windows, like the halls of the colleges of Oxford; and the third, the most interesting, a chamber high, dim and severe, consecrated to the sons of the university who fell in the long Civil War." Principal interior features of Memorial Hall are as follows:
restored stained glass windows by Sarah Wyman Whitman, and several Tiffany glass
windows, all portraying secular themes.
Until 1926, Annenberg Hall was a central dining hall, but until 1994, the hall was cleared of its tables and served as a venue for dances, banquets, registrations, blood drives, exams and rehearsals. With funding from the Annenberg Foundation, Historical Architect Robert G. Neiley restored it to its original use as a dining facility; the multi-million dollar project featured new flooring, custom designed furniture and lighting fixtures inspired by the original designs, and restored art work.
The general restoration of Memorial Hall was completed in 1996, led by Neiley and his firm , as well as Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Inc., and Bruner/Cott and Associates, Inc.
Finally, in 1999, the slate spire tower of Memorial Hall, truncated by fire on September 6, 1956, was restored by Neiley, and the building was complete.
High Victorian Gothic
High Victorian Gothic was an eclectic architectural style and movement during the mid-late 19th century. It is seen by architectural historians as either sub-style of the broader Gothic Revival style, or a separate style unto its own right....
style, located on the Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. It is a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
which memorializes the sacrifices made by Harvard students for the Union, and in the architecture community is considered "a symbol of Boston's Commitment to the Unionist cause and the abolitionist movement in America."
History
Memorial Hall was erected in honor of Harvard graduates who fought for the Union in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. From 1865 to 1868, a fund-raising committee gathered $370,000, then equal to one-twelfth of Harvard's total endowment, which was augmented by an additional $40,000 bequest from Charles Sanders, class of 1802 and college steward 1827-1831, for "a hall or theatre to be used on Commencement days, Class days, Exhibition days, days of the meetings of the society of Alumni, or any other public occasion connected with the College, whether literary or festive."
An architectural competition began in December 1865, with the winning designs submitted by William Robert Ware
William Robert Ware
William Robert Ware , born in Cambridge, Massachusetts into a family of the Unitarian clergy, was an American architect, author, and founder of two important American architectural schools....
, class of 1852, and Henry Van Brunt
Henry Van Brunt
Henry Van Brunt FAIA was a 19th-century American architect and architectural writer.-Life and work:Born in Boston in 1832, Van Brunt attended Boston Latin School, and graduated from Harvard College in 1854...
, class of 1854. (These initial designs were altered as plans proceeded.) In 1870 the building was named Memorial Hall and its cornerstone laid; Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. was an American physician, professor, lecturer, and author. Regarded by his peers as one of the best writers of the 19th century, he is considered a member of the Fireside Poets. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast-Table" series, which began with The Autocrat...
, composed a hymn for the occasion. The hall was dedicated for use in 1874, with Sanders Theatre substantially complete in 1875, and the tower completed in 1877. The tower was subsequently destroyed in a 1956 fire but rebuilt in 1999.
In The Bostonians
The Bostonians
The Bostonians is a novel by Henry James, first published as a serial in The Century Magazine in 1885–1886 and then as a book in 1886. This bittersweet tragicomedy centers on an odd triangle of characters: Basil Ransom, a political conservative from Mississippi; Olive Chancellor, Ransom's cousin...
, Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
described it thus: "The Memorial Hall of Harvard consists of three main divisions: one of them a theater, for academic ceremonies; another a vast refectory, covered with a timbered roof, hung about with portraits and lighted by stained windows, like the halls of the colleges of Oxford; and the third, the most interesting, a chamber high, dim and severe, consecrated to the sons of the university who fell in the long Civil War." Principal interior features of Memorial Hall are as follows:
- Sanders Theatre is a lecture and concert hall of 1,166 seats, wood-paneled with statues of James OtisJames Otis, Jr.James Otis, Jr. was a lawyer in colonial Massachusetts, a member of the Massachusetts provincial assembly, and an early advocate of the political views that led to the American Revolution. The phrase "Taxation without Representation is Tyranny" is usually attributed to him...
(by Thomas CrawfordThomas CrawfordThomas Gibson Crawford was an American sculptor.He was born in New York City of Irish parentage, the son of Aaron and Mary Crawford. In his early years, he was at school with Page, the artist. His proficiency in his studies was hindered by the exuberance of his fancy, which took form in drawings...
) and Josiah QuincyJosiah QuincyJosiah Quincy is the name of:*Colonel Josiah Quincy I , Revolutionary War soldier, built Josiah Quincy House *Josiah Quincy II , attorney, "the Patriot", newspaper propagandist, son of Josiah Quincy I...
(by William Wetmore StoryWilliam Wetmore StoryWilliam Wetmore Story was an American sculptor, art critic, poet and editor.-Biography:William Wetmore Story was the son of jurist Joseph Story and Sarah Waldo Story...
), and inspired by Christopher WrenChristopher WrenSir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
's Sheldonian TheatreSheldonian TheatreThe Sheldonian Theatre, located in Oxford, England, was built from 1664 to 1668 after a design by Christopher Wren for the University of Oxford. The building is named after Gilbert Sheldon, chancellor of the university at the time and the project's main financial backer...
at Oxford, England. It contains John La Farge's stained glass window Athena Tying a Mourning Fillet.
- The hall's great room (9,000 square feet), now known as Annenberg Hall, is shaped by massive wooden trusses, walnut paneling, and a blue, stenciled ceiling. It was converted to a student commons soon after construction, and served as the college's main dining hall until 1926. From 1926 until 1994, it was only lightly used but after extensive renovation reopened in 1996 as the dining hall for all freshmen.
- The Memorial Transept [2600 square feet (241.5 m²)] consists of a 60 feet (18.3 m) gothic vault above a marble floor, black walnut paneling and stenciled walls, two stained glass windows, and 28 white marble tablets commemorating 136 Civil War casualties.
- Twenty-two stained glass windows throughout the building, installed between 1879 and 1902, include works by John La Farge (4 windows), Louis Comfort TiffanyLouis Comfort TiffanyLouis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
Studios (3 windows), Donald MacDonaldDonald MacDonald (craftsman)Donald MacDonald was an early stained glass artist and craftsman of Boston.Donald MacDonald was born in Glasgow and trained as a glass painter in London during the 1860s. In 1868 he was urged to immigrate to America and join the studio of J. William McPherson & Co. in Boston. His skill and...
(2 windows), and Sarah Wyman Whitman (2 windows).
Restoration
In the first phase of restoration, from 1987-92, Annenberg Hall's stained glass was restored. Cummings Studios, led by conservation consultant Julie L. Sloanrestored stained glass windows by Sarah Wyman Whitman, and several Tiffany glass
Tiffany glass
Tiffany glass refers to the many and varied types of glass developed and produced from 1878 to 1933 at the Tiffany Studios, by Louis Comfort Tiffany....
windows, all portraying secular themes.
Until 1926, Annenberg Hall was a central dining hall, but until 1994, the hall was cleared of its tables and served as a venue for dances, banquets, registrations, blood drives, exams and rehearsals. With funding from the Annenberg Foundation, Historical Architect Robert G. Neiley restored it to its original use as a dining facility; the multi-million dollar project featured new flooring, custom designed furniture and lighting fixtures inspired by the original designs, and restored art work.
The general restoration of Memorial Hall was completed in 1996, led by Neiley and his firm , as well as Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Inc., and Bruner/Cott and Associates, Inc.
Finally, in 1999, the slate spire tower of Memorial Hall, truncated by fire on September 6, 1956, was restored by Neiley, and the building was complete.