United States historic place
| Massachusetts Hall, Harvard University | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
| U.S. Historic district Contributing property | |
 Massachusetts Hall, May 2005 | |
  Show map of Massachusetts Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°22′27.98″N 71°7′5.82″W / 42.3744389°N 71.1182833°W / 42.3744389; -71.1182833 |
| Built | 1718–1720 |
| Architect | John Leverett |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Part of | Harvard Yard (ID73000287) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000769 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | October 9, 1960 |
| Designated CP | February 6, 1973 |
Massachusetts Hall is the oldest surviving building at Harvard College, the first institution of higher learning in the British colonies in America, and second-oldest academic building in the United States after the Wren Building at the College of William & Mary. The building possesses great significance in the history of American education and in the development of the Thirteen Colonies during the 18th century. The building was constructed between 1718 and 1720.
Massachusetts Hall was designed by Harvard Presidents John Leverett and his successor Benjamin Wadsworth. The building initially was a dormitory, including 32 chambers and 64 small private studies for the 64 students it was designed to house. During the Siege of Boston in the Revolutionary War, 640 American soldiers took quarters in the hall. Much of the interior woodwork and hardware, including brass doorknobs, disappeared at this time.
While designed as a residence for students, the building has served many purposes through the years. After Thomas Hollis donated a quadrant and a 24-foot telescope in 1722, for example, the building housed an informal observatory.
The president of the university, provost, treasurer, and vice presidents have offices that occupy the first two floors and half of the third. Freshmen reside in the fourth floor.
Massachusetts Hall, as Harvard's oldest extant dormitory, has housed many influential people. Founding Fathers who lived in Massachusetts Hall include John Adams, Samuel Adams, Elbridge Gerry, John Hancock, and James Otis. Members of the Wigglesworth, Weld, Thayer, Eliot, and Lowell families (among others), whose names now grace other dormitories, also lived in Massachusetts Hall. More recent notable residents of Massachusetts Hall include Alan Jay Lerner, Elliot Richardson, John Harbison, and Jeff Schaffer.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Cambridge, Massachusetts
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- "The Critical Mass. (Hall)", The Crimson, April 5, 2007
- The other, the Wren Building at the College of William and Mary, has been destroyed by fire three times, and rebuilt.
- "Massachusetts Hall (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- President, Harvard University. "Contact". Harvard University President. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- Source: Dorm History Search at http://hcs.harvard.edu/~dorms/ Archived 2005-08-28 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- National Park Service, Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings - Massachusetts Hall Archived 2012-08-19 at the Wayback Machine
- Harvard Virtual Tour - Massachusetts Hall
- Harvard Crimson - For Sale by Owner: Historic Colonial
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- Harvard Freshman Dormitories
- National Historic Landmarks in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- School buildings completed in 1720
- Harvard Square
- University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
- Historic district contributing properties in Massachusetts
- 1720 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts Bay
- National Register of Historic Places in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Homes of United States Founding Fathers