Quadrangle (Harvard)
Encyclopedia
The Quadrangle at Harvard University
, formerly called the Radcliffe Quadrangle or the Harvard Annex dorms, is part of Harvard's undergraduate campus, in Cambridge
, Massachusetts
, USA. Generally just called the Quad, it is a traditional college quad
except that it is not located in, or even contiguous with, the heart of campus. It should not be confused with Radcliffe Yard
or with Harvard Yard
— the latter of which is the heart of Harvard's campus.
(formerly known as "South House"), or it can refer to the entire surrounding section of campus. In this larger sense, its borders are Garden St. to the west, Linnaean St. to the north, Walker St. to the east, and Shepard St. to the south. This consists of the Quad green itself as well as Hilles, which formerly contained the Quad Library, and all of Pforzheimer House
, Cabot House
, and Currier House
, including the Cabot Masters' Residence and the Jordans
, even though they are east of Walker St.
Currier and Hilles are separated from the rest of the Quad by a landscaped walk and paved road, a private way used mainly by campus shuttlebuses, that runs north-south through the Quad.
Other adjacent portions of campus, such as the Botanic Gardens, Kittredge, the Quadrangle Recreational Athletic Center (Q-RAC), and the Observatory, are often also grouped as part of the Quad.
s of the Oz
books); they tend to be extremely loyal to their Houses and to each other as an outgrowth of their shared relative separation from the main campus.
All nine other Houses (called River Houses for their proximity to the Charles River
), all freshman dorms, and almost all undergraduate classrooms and department offices are located in the main part of campus surrounding Harvard Square
, which is located about half a mile from the Quad, and which is often called the River by Harvard students. Although not all the houses are equidistant from Harvard Yard, shuttles run to the Quad and the more distant river houses to transport students to class.
Freshmen, who have no control over which upperclass Houses they will be randomly assigned to, often fear being assigned to the Quad (also known as being "quadded"). However, many find a sense of community in the Quad and come to love it.
The benefits of Quad life include fervent spirit and Quad community; better housing arrangements than the River, with larger modern rooms and more common spaces; and the suburban and residential atmosphere of the Quad neighborhood as an area distinct from the academic parts of the Harvard campus. The drawbacks are also often exaggerated, as the Quad is no farther from the Science Center than Mather House or Dunster House
, and shuttlebuses run to the Yard throughout the day and to the entire campus at night.
students in 1901; male students first moved in around 1970. The Quad became fully coresidential in 1972.
For much of its history, its dorms were called "Annex housing", after the "Harvard Annex", Radcliffe's original name, but at some point it came to be called the "Radcliffe Quadrangle". Around 2002, three years after the dissolution of Radcliffe as an undergraduate institution, the name was changed to The Quadrangle. Signs were placed on all four Quad street corners (as part of the Silken Renovation of 2002
) emblazoned only with the Harvard shield and the words "The Quadrangle: Harvard University". Additionally, the name "The Radcliffe Quad" was changed to "The Quadrangle" in Harvard's maps.
For more on Radcliffe's shifting role in the University, see Radcliffe College
.
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...
, formerly called the Radcliffe Quadrangle or the Harvard Annex dorms, is part of Harvard's undergraduate campus, in Cambridge
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...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, USA. Generally just called the Quad, it is a traditional college quad
Quadrangle (architecture)
In architecture, a quadrangle is a space or courtyard, usually rectangular in plan, the sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building. The word is probably most closely associated with college or university campus architecture, but quadrangles may be found in other...
except that it is not located in, or even contiguous with, the heart of campus. It should not be confused with Radcliffe Yard
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
or with Harvard Yard
Harvard Yard
Harvard Yard is a grassy area of about , adjacent to Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that constitutes the oldest part and the center of the campus of Harvard University...
— the latter of which is the heart of Harvard's campus.
Geography
The term "the Quad" can refer to the rectangular green field bounded by Cabot HouseCabot House
Cabot House is one of twelve undergraduate residential Houses at Harvard University. Cabot House derives from the merger in 1970 of South and East House, which took the name South House , until the name was changed and the House reincorporated in 1984 to honor Harvard benefactors Thomas Cabot and...
(formerly known as "South House"), or it can refer to the entire surrounding section of campus. In this larger sense, its borders are Garden St. to the west, Linnaean St. to the north, Walker St. to the east, and Shepard St. to the south. This consists of the Quad green itself as well as Hilles, which formerly contained the Quad Library, and all of Pforzheimer House
Pforzheimer House
Pforzheimer House, nicknamed PfoHo , is one of twelve undergraduate residential Houses at Harvard University. It was named in 1995 for Carol K. and Carl H...
, Cabot House
Cabot House
Cabot House is one of twelve undergraduate residential Houses at Harvard University. Cabot House derives from the merger in 1970 of South and East House, which took the name South House , until the name was changed and the House reincorporated in 1984 to honor Harvard benefactors Thomas Cabot and...
, and Currier House
Currier House
Currier House is one of twelve undergraduate residential Houses of Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Opened in September 1970, it is named after Audrey Bruce Currier, a member of the Radcliffe College Class of 1956 who, along with her husband, was killed in a plane crash in 1967...
, including the Cabot Masters' Residence and the Jordans
Pforzheimer House
Pforzheimer House, nicknamed PfoHo , is one of twelve undergraduate residential Houses at Harvard University. It was named in 1995 for Carol K. and Carl H...
, even though they are east of Walker St.
Currier and Hilles are separated from the rest of the Quad by a landscaped walk and paved road, a private way used mainly by campus shuttlebuses, that runs north-south through the Quad.
Other adjacent portions of campus, such as the Botanic Gardens, Kittredge, the Quadrangle Recreational Athletic Center (Q-RAC), and the Observatory, are often also grouped as part of the Quad.
Quadlings
Residents of the three Quad Houses are called Quadlings (after the QuadlingQuadling Country
The Quadling Country is the southern division of L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz. It is distinguished by the color red, worn by most of the local inhabitants as well as the color of their surroundings. Like the Munchkin Country, the outer regions of the Quadling Country are rich, pleasant and...
s of the Oz
Land of Oz
Oz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
books); they tend to be extremely loyal to their Houses and to each other as an outgrowth of their shared relative separation from the main campus.
All nine other Houses (called River Houses for their proximity to the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
), all freshman dorms, and almost all undergraduate classrooms and department offices are located in the main part of campus surrounding Harvard Square
Harvard Square
Harvard Square is a large triangular area in the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street. It is the historic center of Cambridge...
, which is located about half a mile from the Quad, and which is often called the River by Harvard students. Although not all the houses are equidistant from Harvard Yard, shuttles run to the Quad and the more distant river houses to transport students to class.
Freshmen, who have no control over which upperclass Houses they will be randomly assigned to, often fear being assigned to the Quad (also known as being "quadded"). However, many find a sense of community in the Quad and come to love it.
The benefits of Quad life include fervent spirit and Quad community; better housing arrangements than the River, with larger modern rooms and more common spaces; and the suburban and residential atmosphere of the Quad neighborhood as an area distinct from the academic parts of the Harvard campus. The drawbacks are also often exaggerated, as the Quad is no farther from the Science Center than Mather House or Dunster House
Dunster House
Dunster House, built in 1930, is one of the first two Harvard University dormitories constructed under President Abbott Lawrence Lowell's House Plan, and one of the seven Houses given to Harvard by Edward Harkness. In the early days, room rents varied based on the floor and the size of the room...
, and shuttlebuses run to the Yard throughout the day and to the entire campus at night.
History and nomenclature
The Quad began as housing for (female) Radcliffe CollegeRadcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
students in 1901; male students first moved in around 1970. The Quad became fully coresidential in 1972.
For much of its history, its dorms were called "Annex housing", after the "Harvard Annex", Radcliffe's original name, but at some point it came to be called the "Radcliffe Quadrangle". Around 2002, three years after the dissolution of Radcliffe as an undergraduate institution, the name was changed to The Quadrangle. Signs were placed on all four Quad street corners (as part of the Silken Renovation of 2002
Pforzheimer House
Pforzheimer House, nicknamed PfoHo , is one of twelve undergraduate residential Houses at Harvard University. It was named in 1995 for Carol K. and Carl H...
) emblazoned only with the Harvard shield and the words "The Quadrangle: Harvard University". Additionally, the name "The Radcliffe Quad" was changed to "The Quadrangle" in Harvard's maps.
For more on Radcliffe's shifting role in the University, see Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
.