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 | Harvard University: TERCENTENARY THEATRE - Widener Library, Memorial Church, Sever Hall, and University Hall encircle the New Yard, a crossroads of academic life. In 1936, to honor Harvard's 300th-anniversary celebration, the New Yard was dubbed Tercentenary Theatre. Every June, graduating students, their families, friends, and other well-wishers pack Tercentenary Theatre for Commencement. The colorful tradition includes parades, costumes, speeches, music, and the conferring of degrees. click to open  |  | Harvard University: MEMORIAL CHURCH - Memorial Church (1932) borders the northern section of the New Yard. Marble inscriptions on the walls of the Church interior commemorate Harvard men who died in World Wars I and II. Tablets also bear the names of graduates who died in Korea and Vietnam. The Church's spire looms 172 feet above the Yard. In June, the South Porch facing Widener Library transforms into a stage for the Commencement Exercises. The white spire of Memorial Church reflects the sunset light above the trees in the New Yard. left: The bell's peals can be heard throughout the both halves of the Yard. click to open |  | Harvard University: WIDENER LIBRARY - Widener Library (1914), the hub of Harvard's library system (the world's largest academic library), contains 3.2 million volumes on over 50 miles of bookshelves. Eleanor Elkins Widener funded construction of the library in memory of her son, Harry Elkins Widener, Class of 1907, who died aboard the Titanic. A set of well-trodden steps leads to Widener Library's main entrance. As a research library, Widener provides an environment where students, faculty, and visiting scholars can work without distraction. For this reason, Widener is not open for public tours or visitation. click to open |  | Harvard University: MATTHEWS AND GRAYS HALLS - Two freshman dormitories, Matthews and Grays halls, border part of the grassy area with crisscrossing footpaths known as the Old Yard. Grays Hall opened in 1863 and became the College's first building with water taps in the basement. The residents of other Yard buildings had to haul water from pumps in the Yard. click to open |  | Harvard University: WADSWORTH HOUSE - Yellow clapboard-covered Wadsworth House was constructed in 1727 for Benjamin Wadsworth, Harvard's ninth President. In July 1775, General George Washington briefly used the House as his headquarters when he arrived in Cambridge to assume command of the Continental Army. After his troops forced the British to leave Boston in 1776, the Corporation and Board of Overseers voted to confer an honorary degree on the General. His next visit to Harvard was as the first U.S. president. The University Marshal, the Harvard Alumni Association, and the Director of the University Library have offices in Wadsworth House. click to open |  | Harvard University: HOLYOKE CENTER - Holyoke Center (1966) encompasses an entire block on a site previously occupied by several structures, including Holyoke House, a dorm dating to 1871. Designed by Josep Lluis Sert, a former dean of the Graduate School of Design, Holyoke Center houses many of the University's administrative offices as well as the University Health Services. The Events & Information Center on the ground floor serves as a gathering place for visitors and a starting point for Harvard tours. click to open |  | Harvard University: HOUGHTON AND PUSEY LIBRARIES - Houghton Library (1942) houses a rare-book collection, portraits, and manuscripts as well as memorabilia and furniture from the home of Emily Dickinson. Down a set of steps from Houghton, the underground Pusey Library (1975) contains the Harvard Theatre Collection, Harvard Map Collection, a Theodore Roosevelt exhibition, and the University Archives. click to open |  | Harvard University: MOORE SCULPTURE AND LAMONT LIBRARY - Four-Piece Reclining Figure by Henry Moore rests outside Lamont Library (1949), the main undergraduate library for the humanities and social sciences. Two alumni donated the piece in 1981. click to open |  | Harvard University: BARKER CENTER FOR THE HUMANITIES - Originally created as a social center and later used as a freshman dining hall, the Harvard Union recently became the main part of Barker Center for the Humanities, dedicated in 1997. Barker Center now houses a dozen previously scattered academic departments and units, from Romance Languages and Literatures to Afro-American Studies. Barker Center also includes Warren House and the old Varsity Club building. click to open |  | Harvard University: CARPENTER CENTER FOR THE VISUAL ARTS - The Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts (1963) is the only building in North America designed by the French architect Le Corbusier. A ramp through the structure, which is the home of the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies, offers a glimpse of studio work in progress. The building also includes exhibition space and a basement auditorium where the Harvard Film Archive presents both cinema classics and works by current filmmakers, who often make guest appearances. click to open |
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