President's House (replaced by Emerson Hall) 1861 - 1866

Curator: George Kendall Warren’s photograph depicts the President’s House, which once stood where Emerson Hall is today. What strikes you most about it? Editor: A stillness. A quiet, almost melancholic air hangs about the image. The building itself seems solid, permanent, yet the framing suggests a fading memory. Curator: Note the brickwork, the careful detailing around the windows and the roofline. This wasn't just shelter; it was a statement of institutional power and permanence, built with considerable labor and resources. Editor: And the steeple in the background? It's subtle, but adds a layer of meaning, speaking to the intertwined roles of academia and religion in the shaping of early American thought. Curator: It's fascinating how photography, even then, was employed to document and almost sanctify these structures, imbuing them with a sense of history and authority. Editor: Yes, a frozen moment, a symbol of an era. Seeing it now, one can't help but ponder what values it represented, and how those values have shifted over time. Curator: Indeed, it prompts reflection on the changing landscape, both physical and ideological, of the university. Editor: A somber, yet important, visual record.