Old West, Dickinson College

Last updated

Old West, Dickinson College
Westcollege1810.jpg
Old West
USA Pennsylvania location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 40°12′11″N77°11′43″W / 40.2030°N 77.1952°W / 40.2030; -77.1952
Built1822 (1822)
Architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe
Architectural styleFederal
NRHP reference No. 66000659
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966 [1]
Designated NHLJune 13, 1962 [2]

Old West was the first building to be erected on the campus of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It was designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe in 1803, completed in 1822, and is a fine example of Federal period architecture.

Contents

It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1962 for its architecture and its association with Latrobe. [3]

History

The construction of Old West, known then as New College, was authorized and began in 1798. The effort was in response to the complaints that students could not live at the College. On June 20, 1799, the first cornerstone was laid by John Keen of Carpenters Co., Philadelphia.

During construction in 1803, however, the brick portion of West College burnt down. In an attempt to rebuild a building that would be compatible with that of Princeton University, Judge Brackenridge went to Philadelphia to consult Benjamin Latrobe, who had remodeled Princeton's Nassau Hall and had completed extensive design work on the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Latrobe was a willing contributor to the new design of West College. In a letter dated May 18, 1803, a copy of which may be seen in the Dickinson archives, Benjamin Henry Latrobe replies to Judge Brackenridge's request for drawings in great detail. Latrobe addresses the aspect of weather in Carlisle because of the extreme temperatures and amounts of moisture it acquires annually in the winter months. He explains that his design of the building allows for optimum light absorption through the windows and explains that the stone provides adequate shielding from the strong, crisp wind.

The attention to stone as a weather-proof material was to have a lasting effect.

Old West in 2011 OLD WEST, DICKINSON COLLEGE.jpg
Old West in 2011

Today, Old West houses the presidential and other administrative offices. Memorial Hall in particular is the home of various distinguished speakers, cultural symposiums, and mass every Sunday night.

It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962. [2] [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Henry Latrobe</span> English architect (1764-1820)

Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe was an Anglo-American neoclassical architect who immigrated to the United States. He was one of the first formally trained, professional architects in the new United States, drawing on influences from his travels in Italy, as well as British and French Neoclassical architects such as Claude Nicolas Ledoux. In his thirties, he immigrated to the new United States and designed the United States Capitol, on "Capitol Hill" in Washington, D.C., as well as the Old Baltimore Cathedral or The Baltimore Basilica,. It is the first Cathedral constructed in the United States for any Christian denomination. Latrobe also designed the largest structure in America at the time, the "Merchants' Exchange" in Baltimore. With extensive balconied atriums through the wings and a large central rotunda under a low dome which dominated the city, it was completed in 1820 after five years of work and endured into the early twentieth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dickinson College</span> Private college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Dickinson College is a private liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1773 as Carlisle Grammar School, Dickinson was chartered on September 9, 1783, making it the first college to be founded after the formation of the United States. Dickinson was founded by Benjamin Rush, a Founding Father and signer of the Declaration of Independence. The college is named in honor of John Dickinson, a Founding Father who voted to ratify the Constitution and later served as governor of Pennsylvania, and his wife Mary Norris Dickinson. They donated much of their extensive personal libraries to the new college.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Philosophical Society</span> American scholarly organization and learned society

The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and community outreach. It was founded by Benjamin Franklin and is considered the first learned society in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Mills (architect)</span> American architect

Robert Mills was a South Carolina architect and cartographer known for designing both the first Washington Monument, located in Baltimore, Maryland, as well as the better known monument to the first president in the nation's capital, Washington, DC. He is sometimes said to be the first native-born American to be professionally trained as an architect. Charles Bulfinch of Boston perhaps has a clearer claim to this honor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Ustick Walter</span> American architect

Thomas Ustick Walter was the dean of American architecture between the 1820 death of Benjamin Latrobe and the emergence of H.H. Richardson in the 1870s. He was the fourth Architect of the Capitol and responsible for adding the north (Senate) and south (House) wings and the central dome that is predominantly the current appearance of the U.S. Capitol building. Walter was one of the founders and second president of the American Institute of Architects. In 1839, he was elected as a member to the American Philosophical Society.

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

Nassau Hall, colloquially known as Old Nassau, is the oldest building at Princeton University in Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. In 1783 it served as the United States Capitol building for four months. At the time it was built in 1756, Nassau Hall was the largest building in colonial New Jersey and the largest academic building in the American colonies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairmount Water Works</span> United States historic place

The Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was Philadelphia's second municipal waterworks. Designed in 1812 by Frederick Graff and built between 1812 and 1872, it operated until 1909, winning praise for its design and becoming a popular tourist attraction. It now houses a restaurant and an interpretive center that explains the waterworks' purpose and local watershed history. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976 for its architecture and its engineering innovations. It was the nation's first water supply to use paddle wheels to move water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monumental Church</span> Former Episcopal church and national landmark in Richmond, Virginia, United States

Monumental Church is a former Episcopal church at 1224 E. Broad Street between N. 12th and College streets in Richmond, Virginia. Designed by architect Robert Mills, it is one of America's earliest and most distinctive Greek Revival churches. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been designated as a National Historic Landmark and is located in the Court End historic district.

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

Carpenters' Hall is the official birthplace of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a key meeting place in the early history of the United States. Carpenters' Hall is located in Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Completed in 1775, the two-story brick meeting hall was built for and still privately owned by the Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia, the country's oldest extant craft guild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fisher Fine Arts Library</span> Academic library in Pennsylvania, US

The Fisher Fine Arts Library was the primary library of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia from 1891 to 1962. The red sandstone, brick-and-terra-cotta Venetian Gothic giant, part fortress and part cathedral, was designed by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness (1839–1912).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andalusia (estate)</span> Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States

Andalusia, also known as the Nicholas Biddle Estate, is a historic mansion and estate located on the Delaware River, just northeast of Philadelphia, in Bensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The community surrounding it, Andalusia, takes its name from the 225-acre estate.

This is an incomplete list of historic properties and districts at United States colleges and universities that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This includes National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) and other National Register of Historic Places listings. It includes listings at current and former educational institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arch Street Friends Meeting House</span> Historic church in Pennsylvania, United States

The Arch Street Meeting House, at 320 Arch Street at the corner of 4th Street in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a Meeting House of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Built to reflect Friends' testimonies of simplicity and equality, this building is little changed after more than two centuries of continuous use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merchants' Exchange Building (Philadelphia)</span> United States historic place

The Merchants' Exchange Building is an historic building which is located on the triangular site bounded by Dock, 3rd and Walnut Streets in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was designed by architect William Strickland, in the Greek Revival style, the first national American architectural style and built between 1832 and 1834. It operated as a brokerage house in the nineteenth century, but by 1875 the Philadelphia Stock Exchange had taken the place of the Merchants' Exchange.

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

The Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire is the oldest property insurance company in the United States. It was organized by Benjamin Franklin in 1752 and incorporated in 1768.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Bannister Gibson</span> American judge

John Bannister Gibson was a Pennsylvania attorney, politician in the state legislature, and judge, including years on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court from 1816 to his death in 1853. He served as chief justice on the court for 24 years. In 1821, Gibson was elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edwin Forrest House</span> Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States

The Edwin Forrest House is an historic house and arts building, which is located at 1346 North Broad Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built between 1853 and 1854, it was home, from 1880 until 1960, to the Philadelphia School of Design for Women, at one time one of the nation's largest art schools for women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College of Physicians of Philadelphia</span> Oldest private medical society in the US

The College of Physicians of Philadelphia is the oldest private medical society in the United States. Founded in 1787 by 24 Philadelphia physicians "to advance the Science of Medicine, and thereby lessen human misery, by investigating the diseases and remedies which are peculiar to our country" and to promote "order and uniformity in the practice of Physick," it has made important contributions to medical education and research. The College hosts the Mütter Museum, a gallery of 19th-century specimens, teaching models, instruments, and photographs, as well as the Historical Medical Library, which is one of the country's oldest medical libraries.

Henry Antes was an early 18th-century settler of Pennsylvania, an architect and builder and a leader of the Congregation of God in the Spirit and then the Moravian Church. He is considered one of the most important religious/political leaders of the time, specifically because he preached tolerance and understanding.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. 1 2 "Old West, Dickinson College". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved February 11, 2008.
  3. 1 2 Patricia Heintzelman and Charles E. Shedd, Jr. (August 30, 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Old West, Dickinson College" (pdf). National Park Service.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) and Accompanying 3 photos, exterior and interior, from 1974  (32 KB)