Witherspoon Hall At Princeton University
Date
2015-05-07
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Description
Witherspoon Hall, commissioned in 1875 and occupied two years later. Designed by William A. Potter and Robert H. Robertson, Witherspoon was another in the series of High Victorian Gothic buildings at Princeton. Witherspoon's location was influenced by the advent of the railroad station.
Shaped like an "H", the building accommodated 140 students in 80 rooms. The ground level was constructed of dark, ashlar stone from Newark, while the floors above were made of blue-gray Pennsylvania marble set off with bands of Newark stone. The roof was broken by numerous gables and dormers, and each floor had a different style of windows.
Witherspoon was tailored to meet the needs of these wealthy students. It had amenities such as water closets on every floor, dumbwaiters, and special corridors and rooms for servants. In fact, Witherspoon was considered the most modern and elegant dormitory of its time. Harper's Weekly declared the structure "one of the most commanding college buildings in the world." Another contemporary observer wrote that it was "the most beautiful and luxurious college dormitory in the country." One of its first occupants was Woodrow Wilson, who lived here during three of his years as a Princeton undergraduate.
Original file name IMG_2678.jpeg
Original file name IMG_2678.jpeg
Keywords
Witherspoon Hall, Gothic Architecture, Campus of Princeton University, Princeton University, IVY League, University, Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, NJ, Jersey, The Garden State
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