University Hall

Cambridge, United States

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

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University Hall is a white granite building designed by Charles Bulfinch and erected between 1813 and 1815 in Harvard Yard, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Built from Chelmsford granite using stone cut at Charlestown Prison and constructed by engineer Loammi Baldwin Jr., the structure exemplifies Federal and Colonial Revival architecture. The building comprises a partial basement and four stories, with symmetrically arranged east and west facades featuring two entrances each, flanked by pilasters, while smaller north and south facades present rows of windows. Originally housing the College Commons on its first floor, along with a library, scientific apparatus, and chapel on upper floors, the building underwent significant modifications over the nineteenth century, including the removal of a western portico in 1842 and conversion of the commons to classrooms in 1849. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970 for its architectural significance, University Hall remains one of Bulfinch's most important institutional commissions.

Architect

Charles Bulfinch

Movement

Colonial Revival architecture Federal architecture

Type: university building
Heritage: National Register of Historic Places listed place, National Historic Landmark
Place: Cambridge, United States

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Location

42.37444, -71.11806