Winter at Old Queen's, the oldest building at Rutgers, built between 1809-1825.

Old Queens is the oldest building at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey (USA) and the seat of the university's administration. Designed by noted architect John McComb, Jr., Old Queens is regarded today by architectural experts as one of the finest examples of Federal architecture. Old Queens was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on 11 May 1976 and is listed as a National Historical Landmark.^[1][2] ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 836 KB) Summary Old Queens, at Rutgers University, on a wintry day, as photographed by User:Rickyrab. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 836 KB) Summary Old Queens, at Rutgers University, on a wintry day, as photographed by User:Rickyrab. ... Rutgers redirects here. ... New Brunswick is a City located in Middlesex County, New Jersey, 31 miles (50 km) southwest of New York City on the Raritan River about 15 miles (24 km) from its mouth. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  Ranked 47th  - Total 8,729 sq mi (22,608 km²)  - Width 70 miles (110 km)  - Length 150 miles (240 km)  - % water 14. ... For other uses, see Architect (disambiguation). ... Central Pavilion, Tontine Crescent, 1793-1794, by Charles Bulfinch Federal style architecture occurred in the United States between 1780 and 1830, particularly from 1785 to 1815. ... The National Register of Historic Places is the USAs official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. ... May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... The USS Arizona Memorial. ...

The name of the building gives its name to the surrounding city block which is known as the Old Queens Campus. This block, bounded by Somerset Street to the East, George Street to the North, College Avenue to the South and Hamilton Street to the West, contains the more historical and older buildings on the College Avenue Campus of Rutgers University.

By metonymy, Old Queens has been meant to refer to Rutgers University as a whole. In rhetoric, metonymy (from Greek beyond/changed and , a suffix used to name figures of speech from name (OED)) (IPA //) is the substitution of one word for another with which it is associated. ...

History

The Old Queens campus is rife with history dating several years before the construction of the Old Queens building. During the American Revolution, Alexander Hamilton commanded a battery of artillery which fired upon British positions under the command of William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe to provide time for General George Washington to escape south through New Brunswick in 1777 following the fall of New York City. The American Revolution was a political movement that ended British control of the south-eastern coastal area of North America, resulting in the formation of the United States of America in 1776 and sparking the American Revolutionary War. ... Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757 — July 12, 1804) was an American politician, leading statesman, financier, intellectual, military officer, and founder of the Federalist Party. ... Sir William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe PC (August 10, 1729 – July 12, 1814) was an English General who was Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the American Revolutionary War, one of the three Howe brothers. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732–December 14, 1799) led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and was the first President of the United States, from 1789 to 1797. ... New Brunswick is a City located in Middlesex County, New Jersey, 31 miles (50 km) southwest of New York City on the Raritan River about 15 miles (24 km) from its mouth. ... 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: Big Apple Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ...

The heirs of John Parker, a merchant and prominent individual from Perth Amboy donated a five-acre apple orchard to Queen's College in 1808. This tract of land would become the Old Queens campus.^[3] The Perth Amboy National Bank Building, and a view of the 5 Corners downtown area (Intersections of State and Smith Sts. ...

Old Queens was designed by John McComb, Jr. (1763-1853) a noted architect who designed the Hamilton Grange (1802) in Harlem for Alexander Hamilton, Castle Clinton (1808) on Lower Manhattan's Battery Park (1808), and the New York City Hall (1803). Hamilton Grange National Memorial, at 287 Convent Avenue in New York City, preserves the home of Alexander Hamilton, American statesman and first United States Secretary of the Treasury. ... Harlem is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, long known as a major black cultural and business center. ... Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757 — July 12, 1804) was an American politician, leading statesman, financier, intellectual, military officer, and founder of the Federalist Party. ... Castle Clinton or Fort Clinton is a circular sandstone fort and national monument in Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan, New York City. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... ...

Early nineteenth century drawing of Old Queen's

Named after Queen's College, the earliest name for Rutgers, the cornerstone for Old Queens was laid on 27 April 1809 by Reverend Ira Condict, the college's third president.^[4][5] The Queen for whom Queen's College was named, was Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744–1818), the Queen-consort of King George III who was on the throne of the United Kingdom when Queen's College was founded in 1766. Due to the young college's financial difficulty, the building was not completed until 1825.^[4][5] Classes began within the completed portions of the building as early as 1811 for Queen's College (now Rutgers University), Queen's College Grammar School (now Rutgers Preparatory School), and the New Brunswick Theological Seminary. The New Brunswick Theological Seminary moved in 1856 to a new 7-acre (28,000 m²) campus less than one-half mile away, as a result of overcrowding. The Grammar School moved across the street several years earlier in 1830.^[4][5] Old Drawing of Old Queens, Rutgers University File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Old Drawing of Old Queens, Rutgers University File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Rev. ... Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte) (19 May 1744 - 17 November 1818) as Queen Charlotte was the queen consort of King George III. Coronation portrait of Queen Charlotte by Allan Ramsay, National Portrait Gallery // Birth, youth, and marriage Charlotte was the youngest daughter of Charles Louis Frederick, Prince of... King George V of the United Kingdom and his consort, Queen Mary A queen consort is the wife and consort of a reigning king. ... George III (George William Frederick) (4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. ... 1766 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Joyce Rollins is a lesbian. ... Rutgers redirects here. ... Rutgers Preparatory School (also known as Rutgers Prep or RPS) is a private, co-educational day school located in Somerset, New Jersey. ... New Brunswick Theological Seminary is a professional and graduate school founded in 1784, in New York City, to educate ministers for the congregations of the Reformed Church in America. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1825, Colonel Henry Rutgers, an American Revolutionary War Hero and philanthropist from New York City gave the fledgling Queens College a $5,000 bond and a bell. The Trustees renamed the institution in honor of Colonel Rutgers.^[4][5] The bell, known as the Old Queens Bell, was hung in the cupola of Old Queens to chime the passing of classes.^[4] It remains there today, and is rung on special occasions, such as at Commencement exercise in May and in recognition of athletic teams who have won national conferences.^[6] The cupola was donated by Stephen Van Rensellaer in 1825.^[5] Henry Rutgers (October 7, 1745 - February 17, 1830) was a United States Revolutionary War hero from New York. ... Nickname: Big Apple Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ...

Initially, the first floor of Old Queens served for classrooms where recitation was held, and the second floor housed the college's Chapel and library. The wings on each side of the structure served as living quarters for the faculty of the College. At that time, with no dormitories (until 1890), students at Rutgers found housing within rooming houses and other off-campus locations throughout New Brunswick, New Jersey.^[5]

Today, Old Queens houses the top administrative offices of Rutgers University, especially that of the University's president.

Architecture

Constructed of ashlar brownstone in the front and sides and of local field stone in the rear, the façade of Old Queens incorporates symmetry and balance typical of Federal style architecture, and classical motifs such as Doric pilasters, and low-height pediments (or tympanum or gables) resembling those on ancient Greek and Roman temples typical to the Early American period. This article is about the building material and the dwelling. ... Doric, a synonym of Dorian, may refer to any of the following: The Dorians, one of the ancient Hellenic races, Doric Greek, the dialect of the former, the Doric order and its distinctive Doric column, in ancient Greek architecture, the Dorian mode in music, also called the Doric mode, or... In architecture, pilasters comprise slightly-projecting pseudo-columns built into or onto a wall, with capitals and bases. ... A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of a triangular section or gable found above the horizontal superstructure (entablature) which lies immediately upon the columns. ... Tympanum may mean: The eardrum; or A sculpted panel that stands within the recessed area formed by a larger arch above the doors to a church or similar building, especially in Romanesque and Gothic architecture; or A single drum in the orchestral percussion section usually called timpani. ... gables may refer to: Gable (architecture) Coral Gables, Florida This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government. ...

Old Queens boasts its original handmade glass windowpanes. The lower floor windows are 12x8, with 16x12 on the second and 12x12 third floors. In each of the gables, circular windows, typical to Federal architecture are present.

A cupola erected in 1825, topped by a weathervane, houses the Old Queens Bell donated by Colonel Henry Rutgers. Cupola of St Peters Basilica, Rome In architecture, a cupola consists of a dome-shaped ornamental structure located on top of a larger roof or dome, often used as a lookout or to admit light and provide ventilation. ... A weather vane, also called a wind vane, is a movable device attached to an elevated object such as a roof for showing the direction of the wind. ... Henry Rutgers (October 7, 1745 - February 17, 1830) was a United States Revolutionary War hero from New York. ...

Old Queens Campus

The Old Queens Campus as a whole was recognized with inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The National Register of Historic Places is the USAs official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ...

Other buildings neighboring Old Queens on the Old Queens Campus, presently include or previously included:

• President's House (1841, demolished 1962)
• Van Nest Hall (1845)
• Daniel S. Schanck Observatory (1865)
• Geology Hall (1872)
• Kirkpatrick Chapel (1873)
• Winants Hall (1890)

The Old Queens campus is accessed through four gateways, the Henry Rutgers Baldwin Gateway (erected 1901) on College Avenue, named for Henry Rutgers Baldwin (Class of 1849), the Class of 1883 Memorial Gateway (erected in 1904) at the corner of George and Somerset Streets, the Class of 1882 Gateway (erected 1907) at the corner of Somerset Street and College Avenue, and the Class of 1902 Memorial Gateway (erected in 1904) on Hamilton Street leading to the Voorhees Mall and the academic buildings on Rutgers University's College Avenue Campus. It is through this last gate that graduating seniors walk during Commencement exercises in May.^[5] Traditionally, Rutgers students are warned to avoid walking beneath the gate before commencement over a superstition that one who does will not graduate. Stepping is a process of locomotion - either forward or backward movement engaged in by bipedal (i. ... It has been suggested that Magical thinking be merged into this article or section. ...

Located in front of Old Queens, the Class of 1877 Cannon commemorates both the Rutgers-Princeton Cannon War and several alumni who have served in the United States military. As a tradition during commencement, those graduating break clay pipes over the cannon as a symbol of breaking ties with the memories of times of camaraderie and fellowship had during their undergraduate years. A small American Civil War-era cannon on a carriage A caun is any large tubular firearm designed to fire a heavy projectile over a considerable distance. ...

References

Notes and citations

1. ^ National Register of Historic Places - List of sites in Middlesex County, New Jersey accessed 10 September 2006.
2. ^ National Park Service: National Historical Landmarks Program accessed 10 September 2006.
3. ^ Alumni Relations Newsletter
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} Rutgers Through the Years Timeline. Rutgers University. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Paths to Historic Rutgers: A Self-Guided Tour. Rutgers University. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
6. ^ Tradition at www.scarletknights.com, accessed on 10 September 2006.

2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ...

Books and other resources

• Demarest, William Henry Steele. History of Rutgers College: 1776-1924. (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers College, 1924).
• History of Rutgers College: or an account of the union of Rutgers College, and the Theological Seminary of the General Synod of the Reformed Dutch Church. Prepared and published at the request of several trustees of the College, by a trustee. (New York: Anderson & Smith, 1833).
• McCormick, Richard P. Rutgers: a Bicentennial History. (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1966).
• Schmidt, George P. Princeton and Rutgers: The Two Colonial Colleges of New Jersey. (Princeton, NJ: Van Nostrand, 1964).

External links

• Rutgers University
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