Old North Building

Last updated
Old North
Old North front 2023.jpg
Northern elevation in 2023
General information
TypeAcademic building
Architectural style Georgian
Location Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Coordinates 38°54′27.2″N77°4′23.7″W / 38.907556°N 77.073250°W / 38.907556; -77.073250
Current tenants McCourt School of Public Policy
Construction started1794;230 years ago (1794) [1]
Completed1795;229 years ago (1795) (exterior) [1]
1809;215 years ago (1809) (interior) [2]
Opened1797;227 years ago (1797) [1]
Owner Georgetown University
Dimensions
Other dimensionsLength: 154 feet (47 m) [2]
Technical details
Floor count5 [3]
Floor area25,000 sq ft (2,300 m2) [3]
Design and construction
Architect(s)Leonard Harbaugh
Old North Building
Location map Washington DC Cleveland Park to Southwest Waterfront.png
Red pog.svg
USA District of Columbia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Part of Georgetown Historic District (ID67000025)
Significant dates
Designated NHLDCPMay 28, 1967
Designated DCIHSNovember 8, 1964

The Old North Building, or simply Old North, is the oldest extant academic building on the campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., [4] and was the second major building built on the campus. [1] To the east, the building is joined to Healy Hall and to the west, it is joined to New North, [5] while the southern façade of the building encloses Dahlgren Chapel. [2] Built in the Georgian style, Old North was one of the grandest buildings in Washington at the time of its completion in 1795. [6] It served as the flagship of the university until the construction of Healy Hall. [6] Old North currently houses the McCourt School of Public Policy. [7]

Contents

History

Construction and early uses

In the 18th century, the nascent Georgetown College, with only one building on its campus in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., was in continual need of additional space. Therefore, in 1792, with all of the college's facilities housed within the South Building (which was demolished in 1904), land was purchased for the construction of an additional building. Construction started in 1794 [1] on what became known as the North Building, and work on its edifice was completed by 1795. The architect is believed to have been Leonard Harbaugh, the Baltimore-based designer of Holy Trinity Chapel. [1] The building was modeled after Nassau Hall at Princeton University. Funding the construction of a building of its size was difficult for the school. The total cost of its initial construction exceeded £10,000, a sum significantly greater than the revenue from the Jesuits' Maryland plantations, which were funding the project. The board of directors was required to raise tuition, cut President Robert Plunkett's salary by more than half, [1] and make some payments in the form of cows raised on campus as barter, rather than in cash. The interior of the building was not complete until 1809, with an anonymous contribution of $400. Upon completion, the 154-foot-long building increased the amount of dormitory space on campus fourfold. It also housed classrooms, a refectory, [5] and a chapel. [2] The building finally opened for use in 1797. [1]

When construction of Old North was completed, many considered it "one of the grandest works in Washington, after the Capitol Building," and it became the flagship building of the university. [6]

It was not until 1809 when, during the presidency of William Matthews, the building was totally complete. Until then, only the interior of the third floor had been finished; [8] Matthews also added the two octagonal towers, which were an unusual addition to the Georgian-style building. [9]

Civil War and beyond

1829 depiction of Old South (left, demolished) and Old North (right) Georgetown 1829.jpg
1829 depiction of Old South (left, demolished) and Old North (right)

On May 4, 1861, during the Civil War, notice was given to President John Early that the 69th Infantry Regiment of New York would be commandeering Georgetown College's campus to quarter its 1,400 soldiers. The commandeering of the college lasted until June 4 of that year. [10] Old North was exempt from this order, and the students of the college had to quickly remove all of their belongings to the Old North Building. Likewise, Old North was exempt from another order by the Surgeon General of the Army, on August 31, 1862 to convert Georgetown's facilities into a hospital for 500 patients. This exemption was due to intervention by General Amiel Weeks Whipple, whose two sons attended the college. [11]

Old North (right) was overshadowed by the construction of Healy Hall Healy Hall 1904.jpg
Old North (right) was overshadowed by the construction of Healy Hall

With the school growing, Georgetown embarked on the construction of Healy Hall. Architects Smithmeyer and Pelz begin drafting designs for the building, with one such plan from 1876 depicting the fourth floor of Healy Hall overlapping the footprint of Old North, suggesting that they had considered the demolition of the Old North building. [5] When Healy Hall was completed immediately adjacent to the building, Old North lost its status as the flagship of the university and its grandeur was diminished in comparison. [6]

An area to the south of the building was eventually enclosed by a fence, and became referred to as The Yard. The space was used by the student athletic association formed in 1891 for recreation. Over time, "The Yard" became a metonym for the athletic association, which grew to assume broader functions, eventually becoming Georgetown's student government; [2] hence, the former name of the student government is The Yard. [12] The courtyard between Old North and Old South—the area roughly coextensive with Dahlgren Quadrangle today—initially left the southern entrance of Old North to be at ground level. [13] It was not until 1893 that the quadrangle was sunken and a staircase to the south entrance constructed. [10]

Recent uses

Northern elevation as seen in 1933, prior to the construction of the new entrance REAR - Georgetown University, Old North Building, Thirty-Seventh and O Streets Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC HABS DC,GEO,20A-5.tif
Northern elevation as seen in 1933, prior to the construction of the new entrance

In 1981, Georgetown began a two-year renovation of Old North in order to repurpose it from housing dormitories and classrooms to the new home of the School of Business Administration (the school had not yet been renamed the School of Business or, even later, the McDonough School of Business). [14] This renovation also involved outfitting the north façade of the building with a new entrance. [15] The building was rededicated in 1983 with a conferral of an honorary doctorate of humane letters on President Gerald Ford by Georgetown President Timothy Healy, followed by a ceremonial ribbon-cutting by the two. [16] Part of this renovation was the design and construction of an exterior fire escape for Old North at its junction with Healy Hall, the design of which incorporated architectural elements from the two buildings. The metal structure won awards from the Washington and Mid-Atlantic chapters of the American Institute of Architects. [15]

Old North was again renovated in 2013, with all 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2) across its five floors being refurbished. [3] This entailed the removal of the wooden beams in the attic that had long-since lost their structurally supporting role and were merely decorative. [4] This renovation was to accommodate the relocation of the Georgetown Public Policy Institute to Old North. The institute's successor, the McCourt School of Public Policy now resides in the building. [7]

Presidents' steps

Southern elevation in 1937, depicting Dahlgren Quadrangle and the presidents' steps Historic American Buildings Survey John O. Brostrup, Photographer April 2, 1937 11-00 A.M. VIEW FROM SOUTHEAST (front). - Georgetown University, Old North Building, Thirty-Seventh HABS DC,GEO,20A-1.tif
Southern elevation in 1937, depicting Dahlgren Quadrangle and the presidents' steps
Plaque on the building commemorating the presidential visits Presidential visits plaque Old North.jpg
Plaque on the building commemorating the presidential visits

On August 7, 1797, [10] George Washington, two of whose grandnephews had previously been students at Georgetown, gave a speech on the southern steps of Old North to a group assembled in Dahlgren Quadrangle. This established a precedent for presidents to speak on the same steps of the building, as well as the more general tradition of presidents visiting the building. [2] The next president to make an appearance on the steps was John Quincy Adams. He attended a commencement of Georgetown College on July 25, 1825 and another on July 30, 1827. At the former ceremony, he was joined by the Secretary of State and several members of the diplomatic corps, and he assisted the president of the college in distributing diplomas to the graduates. President Andrew Jackson accepted an invitation to attend the commencement of July 28, 1829, however, he fell ill and did not ultimately make a trip to Georgetown. Therefore, the next president to visit Old North was John Tyler on July 26, 1841 for the annual commencement. Like Adams, he assisted with the distribution of diplomas. Tyler again attended graduation on July 26, 1842, and his son enrolled in the school the following fall. On September 28, 1845, President James K. Polk and the First Lady Sarah Childress Polk visited James Polk's nephew, Marshall Polk, who was a student at Georgetown. On July 24, 1849, President Zachary Taylor partook in the commencement exercises at Old North. He additionally made a visit on October 5, 1849, and the occasion was marked by suspending classes for the afternoon. The graduation of 1854 was attended by President Franklin Pierce on July 11, and he paid additional visits to the College on June 5 and November 6 of 1856. He was invited to attended another graduation of 1856 but did not attend due to inclement weather. President James Buchanan, whose nephew, Joseph B. Henry, was a student at the school for two years, partook in graduation on July 7, 1857 and was joined by the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Interior. Buchanan again attended a graduation ceremony on July 6, 1859. [10]

One of the most significant moments on the steps was when Abraham Lincoln addressed Union Army troops of the 69th Infantry Regiment of New York from the steps [17] during their commandeering of part of the college's campus [10] in May 1861 as part of his review of the troops temporarily quartered on campus. [18] During the Civil War, Old North served as a temporary hospital for Union soldiers. [6] President Andrew Johnson visited the campus on July 3, 1867, while his son, Andrew F. Johnson was enrolled in the school, and delivered a speech, which was followed by a light meal. President Ulysses Grant also visited the building that year, when he attended graduation, which was described as "Exhibition Day" in the house diary of the college. Accordingly, Grant distributed prizes to the students, and was later joined by former president Johnson after the departure of the students. It was at this graduation that the rector of the school, in his speech, observed the tradition of every president since George Washington joining the graduating class at the annual ceremony. [10]

President Gerald Ford visited the building in 1983. [16] In January 1993, President-elect and Georgetown alumnus Bill Clinton addressed the Diplomatic Corps from the steps of Old North. [19] As of 2018, 14 American presidents have visited Old North or have spoken on the steps, the most recent of which was Barack Obama, who gave a major address on climate change in 2016. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgetown University</span> Private university in Washington, D.C.

Georgetown University is a private Jesuit research university in Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll in 1789 as Georgetown College, it is the oldest Catholic institution of higher education in the United States and the nation's first federally chartered university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)</span> Place in the United States

Georgetown is a historic neighborhood and commercial district in Northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751 as part of the colonial-era Province of Maryland, Georgetown predated the establishment of Washington, D.C. by 40 years. Georgetown was an independent municipality until 1871 when the United States Congress created a new consolidated government for the entire District of Columbia. A separate act, passed in 1895, repealed Georgetown's remaining local ordinances and renamed Georgetown's streets to conform with those in Washington, D.C..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John J. DeGioia</span> American academic administrator

John Joseph DeGioia is an American academic administrator and philosopher who has been the president of Georgetown University since 2001. He is the first lay president of the school and is currently its longest-serving president. Upon his appointment, he also became the first lay president of any Jesuit university in the United States. Having spent his entire career at Georgetown, where he received his undergraduate and graduate degrees, DeGioia was the dean of student affairs and held various vice presidential positions before becoming president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Francis Healy</span> American Jesuit educator (1834–1910)

Patrick Francis Healy was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who was an influential president of Georgetown University, becoming known as its "second founder". The university's flagship building, Healy Hall, bears his name. Though he considered himself and was largely accepted as White, Healy was posthumously recognized as the first Black American to earn a PhD, as well as the first to enter the Jesuit order and to become the president of a predominantly White university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leo J. O'Donovan</span> American Jesuit academic administrator and theologian

Leo Jeremiah O'Donovan III is an American Catholic priest, Jesuit, and theologian who served as the president of Georgetown University from 1989 to 2001. Born in New York City, he graduated from Georgetown, and while studying in France, decided to enter the Society of Jesus. He went on to receive advanced degrees from Fordham University and Woodstock College, and received his doctorate in theology from the University of Münster, where he studied under Karl Rahner. Upon returning to the United States, he became a professor at Woodstock College and the Weston Jesuit School of Theology, before becoming the president of the Catholic Theological Society of America and a senior administrator in the Jesuit Maryland Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDonough Gymnasium</span> Arena on Georgetown University campus

McDonough Gymnasium, sometimes referred to as McDonough Arena when hosting a sports or entertainment event, is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Officially known as McDonough Memorial Gymnasium, it opened in 1951 and can hold 2,200 spectators for sports events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healy Hall</span> United States historic place

Healy Hall is a National Historic Landmark and the flagship building of the main campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., United States. Constructed between 1877 and 1879, the hall was designed by Paul J. Pelz and John L. Smithmeyer, both of whom also designed the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. The structure is named after Patrick Francis Healy, who was the President of Georgetown University at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy S. Healy</span> American Jesuit academic administrator

Timothy Stafford Healy was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who straddled the religious and secular life, serving as the vice chancellor of the City University of New York, the president of Georgetown University, and the president of the New York Public Library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Students of Georgetown Inc.</span> Non-profit public charitable organization at Georgetown University

Students of Georgetown Inc., commonly known as "The Corp", is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charitable organization at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., with seven subsidiary companies generating annual revenues in excess of $5 million. Only undergraduate students of Georgetown University work as employees or sit as members of the Corp's board of directors, distinguishing business operations at the Corp from other student-run companies such as Harvard Student Agencies, which allows non-students and alumni to serve as board members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Georgetown University</span>

The history of Georgetown University spans nearly 400 years, from the early European settlement of America to the present day. Georgetown University has grown with both its city, Washington, D.C., and the United States, each of which date their founding to the period from 1788 to 1790. Georgetown's origins are in the establishment of the Maryland colony in the seventeenth century. Bishop John Carroll established the school at its present location by the Potomac River after the American Revolution allowed for free religious practice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campuses of Georgetown University</span> Physical facilities of Georgetown University

The Campuses of Georgetown University, the Law School Campus, the Main Campus, and the Medical Campus, are located within Washington, D.C. Georgetown's Main and Medical Campuses are located in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. between Canal Road, Prospect Street, and Reservoir Road. The Law Campus is located in downtown DC on New Jersey Avenue, near Union Station. Other parts of Georgetown are located in the D.C. Area, including the Center for Continuing and Professional Education at Clarendon in Arlington, Virginia. Georgetown also has an overseas campus in Education City, Qatar, and villas in Alanya, Turkey and Fiesole, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack the Bulldog</span> Mascot of Georgetown University

Jack the Bulldog is the official mascot of the Georgetown University Hoyas athletic teams. The school has employed at least nine live Bulldogs as mascots, and counts seven named Jack since 1962, when the name first came into use, including three who are still living. The current incarnation of Jack, who will be taking over from his predecessor during the spring 2024 semester, is an English Bulldog born in 2023 whose full name is Serchell's John P. Carroll. Recent bulldogs have come from the Georgetown alumni family of Janice and Marcus Hochstetler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Housing at Georgetown University</span> Aspect of Georgetown University residential life

Housing at Georgetown University consists of 13 residence halls at the main campus and a law center campus. Housing on Georgetown's main campus is divided between "halls," usually more traditional dormitories, and "villages", usually less traditional apartment complexes. In addition, Georgetown operates many townhouses in the Georgetown neighborhood, usually for second, third, and fourth-year students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of John Carroll</span> Statue by Jerome Connor in Washington, D.C., U.S.

Bishop John Carroll is a statue by the sculptor Jerome Connor commemorating Archbishop John Carroll, the founder of Georgetown University and the first Catholic bishop in the United States. Located in front of Healy Hall, on university's campus in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., the statue consists of a bronze sculpture of Carroll on top of a granite pedestal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart</span> Church in D.C., U.S.

Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart, often shortened to Dahlgren Chapel, is a Roman Catholic chapel located in Dahlgren Quadrangle on the main campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The chapel was built in 1893, and is located in the historic center of the campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaston Hall</span> Auditorium at Georgetown University

Gaston Hall is an auditorium located on the third and fourth floors of the north tower of Healy Hall on Georgetown University's main campus in Washington, D.C. Named for Georgetown's first student, William Gaston, who also helped secure the university's federal charter, Gaston Hall was completed in 1901, around twenty years after the construction of the building within which it is housed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">W. Coleman Nevils</span> American Jesuit educator

William Coleman Nevils was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit educator who became the head of numerous Jesuit institutions throughout the northeastern United States, including Georgetown University and the University of Scranton. Born in Philadelphia, he was educated at Saint Joseph's College, before entering the Society of Jesus. While studying for the priesthood, he taught at Boston College and the Loyola School. After receiving his doctorate from Woodstock College, he held professorships at St. Andrew-on-Hudson and the College of the Holy Cross, before transferring to Georgetown University, where he became the dean of Georgetown College, the academic vice president, and the regent of the School of Foreign Service. He then left Georgetown to become the dean of the Shadowbrook Jesuit House of Studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgetown University Jesuit Community Cemetery</span> Historic cemetery at Georgetown University, USA

The Jesuit Community Cemetery on the campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., is the final resting place for Jesuits who were affiliated with the university. It was first established in 1808 and was moved to its present location in 1854.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard A. Maguire</span> Irish-American Jesuit priest

Bernard A. Maguire was an Irish-American Catholic priest and Jesuit who served twice as the president of Georgetown University. Born in Ireland, he emigrated to the United States at the age of six, and his family settled in Maryland. Maguire attended Saint John's College in Frederick, Maryland, and then entered the Society of Jesus in 1837. He continued his studies at Georgetown University, where he also taught and was prefect, until his ordination to the priesthood in 1851.

Kehoe Field is the name of two fields that served as the home of the Georgetown Hoyas intramural sports and varsity athletics teams, including several seasons of Hoyas football, since the 1950s. They occupied the same site, successively, on the Georgetown University campus in Washington, D.C.

References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Curran, Robert Emmett (1993). The Bicentennial History of Georgetown University: From academy to university, 1789-1889. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press. pp. 46–47. ISBN   0878404856.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Conway, Lynn. "The Quadrangle: A history in fifty images". Georgetown University Library. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
    3. 1 2 3 "Interiors - GPPI Old North". Patner Construction. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
    4. 1 2 "Old North Building". D.C. Historic Sites. D.C. Preservation League. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
    5. 1 2 3 Georgetown Architecture, Northwest Washington, District of Columbia: Historic American Buildings Survey Selections. Faehtz & Pratt. 1874. p. 190.
    6. 1 2 3 4 5 Toporoff, Andrew (February 8, 2012). "Listening to Architecture: What Georgetown University Says Today". The Hoya . Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
    7. 1 2 "The History of the McCourt School of Public Policy". Georgetown University. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
    8. ↑ "Old North at Georgetown University, as viewed from the south side". Georgetown University Library. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
    9. ↑ Moeller Jr., G. Martin (2012). Feldblyum, Boris (ed.). AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 177. ISBN   9781421402703 . Retrieved July 11, 2018.
    10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Repetti, W. C. (July 1, 1956). "Georgetown and the Presidents". Woodstock Letters. LXXXV (3). Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2018– via Jesuit Online Library.
    11. ↑ "Shades of Blue and Gray: Georgetown and the Civil War". Georgetown University Library. June 17, 2011. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
    12. ↑ Ternan, Jack (December 5, 2000). "Restore Student Government: Bringing Back the Yard". The Hoya . Archived from the original on July 11, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
    13. ↑ "Old North at Georgetown University, as seen from Old South (1874 Series, #15)". Georgetown University Archives. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
    14. ↑ "McDonough School of Business History". Georgetown University. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
    15. 1 2 Forgey, Benjamin (November 2, 1983). "A New Look for GU's Old North". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
    16. 1 2 "60 Years of Business: The Story of Georgetown's Business School". Georgetown University. August 15, 2017. Archived from the original on June 12, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
    17. ↑ "Hoya History". The Hoya . August 27, 2016. Archived from the original on September 21, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
    18. ↑ "History of Georgetown: Historical Facts". Georgetown University. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
    19. ↑ "A New Era of Peril and Promise". US Department of State Dispatch. 4 (5). Bureau of Public Affairs. February 1, 1993. Archived from the original on March 4, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2018– via Department of State Foreign Affairs Network.
    20. ↑ Devaney, Robert (April 11, 2016). "In the Steps of George Washington: Obama to Deliver Address at Georgetown University June 25". Georgetowner. Retrieved July 2, 2018.

    Commons-logo.svg Media related to Old North Building (Georgetown University) at Wikimedia Commons

    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.