University Hall
Address1, Harvard Yard, Cambridge, MA, United States of America, 02138
Site Number337
Building Root Number
04445
Architect (Original)
Charles Bulfinch
Building Acquired
1815
Constructed 1815
Constructed 1815
StatusActive
Site Name HistorySite name history has not yet been added for this site.Historical NotesDesigned by architect Charles Bulfinch (A.B. 1781) and completed in 1815, University Hall established the eastern boundary of the Old Yard. Bulfinch, whose son Thomas was a member of the Class of 1814, provided his services as an architect to the College in exchange for his son's tuition payments. The building is constructed of Chelmsford granite instead of brick; it is the first stone building on campus. Bulfinch chose granite for University Hall to set it apart from the older, brick buildings surrounding it in Harvard Yard. The building was originally intended to house a chapel, dining halls, six classrooms and the Harvard president's office. The original design also included a cupola, which was never constructed. Soon after its construction a portico was added which ran the entire length of the west façade; this portico was removed during a renovation in 1842. The granite steps on the east side of the building were added in 1917, and the statue of John Harvard was placed at the west side in 1924.
University Hall has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Several U.S. presidents were entertained here including James Monroe, Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren as well as the Marquis de Lafayette. Funding for the building was provided by grants from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Additional Information
Bulfinch Room
“Great Explosion at Cambridge - University Hall Blown Up!” The Liberator, 8 July 1842, p. 3.
Weber, Paul J. Photographs of Harvard University Buildings and Grounds Taken by Paul J. Weber, Ca. 1929-1931 and 1939. Harvard University Archives call number HUV 2329
Harvard University. Corporation. Records of Early Harvard Buildings, 1710-1969. (1710). Harvard University Archives call number UAI 15.10.5
Harvard Univesity: A Selection of Historic Buildings. Cambridge, Mass., 1986.
University Hall, Recitation [?] Building, Harvard College, Cambridge, Mass. 1850-1920. Boston Public Library, Print Department., Boston. Web. Local Accession Number: 06_11_000921
“Opening Doors: A Project to Make Internal Doors at Harvard University ADA Compliant.” Clem Labine’s Traditional Building, vol. 14, no. 4, July 2001, p. 139.
Kahn, Eve M. “An Ivy-League Restoration [Harvard University Hall].” Clem Labine’s Traditional Building, vol. Dec., Nov. 2001, p. 96.
Massachusetts Daughters of the American Revolution. Hannah Winthrop chapter, Cambridge. An Historic Guide to Cambridge. 2nd ed., rev. ed., Cambridge, Mass., 1907.
Papers of Henry Lee, 1867-1898. Harvard University Archives call number HUG 1516.5.
Lee, Henry. History of University Hall. Harvard University Archives call number HUB 1861.49.
General Information by and about University Hall. Harvard University Archives call number HUB 1861.2.
Manuscript Inventory of Personal Property of the College, 1828. Harvard University Archives call number UAI 20.828.
Damage Inside University Hall, April 10. 1969 [videocassette]. Harvard University Archives call number MPF132.1.
Hurlbut, Byron Satterlee. A Guide Book to the Grounds and Buildings of Harvard University. Cambridge: U, 1898. Print.
Placed on the National Register of Historic Places December 30, 1970. National Register Information System ID: 70000736
2001 winner Cambridge Historical Commission Preservation Award
This building has been designated by the University Planning Office as having a Notable Interior.