1. Main campus, ca. 1942. At this time,
cars were allowed on main campus because
relatively few students owned cars. The
president’s house, known as Gerry House, is
in the background, tall and awkward prior to
the 1960s additions that President and Mrs.
Kline oversaw. Behind the house is the campus
water tower (no longer existing), on
which members of the class of 1941 rather
brazenly advertised their graduation year.
2. Ward Manor Gatehouse, 1963. In 1963
Bard purchased the Ward Manor property,
significantly expanding its campus and dormitory
capacity. Originally known as Gate
Lodge, it was designed by Francis Hoppin
and built in 1918 as the gatehouse to the
Louis Hamersley mansion, later called Ward
Manor. The gatehouse now houses the vocal
arts program.
3. Ward Manor, ca. 1967. The main house
was built in 1918, while the Annex was
added in 1929. William Ward donated the
property (which extended to Tivoli) to
a New York charitable organization that
utilized the mansion as housing for seniors,
while other buildings on the estate were
used to accommodate summer camps for
girls and boys, and vacation bungalows
for city families of limited means. The
senior home and camps closed in the late
1950s. A few years later, in 1963, Bard
purchased a portion of the land, along
with the Gatehouse, Manor, and Robbins
House, effectively adding dormitory space
for 150 students and several faculty families.
Photograph by Peter Aaron ’68.
4. An aerial view of the campus, ca. 1942. A lower floor window of Albee is circled,
perhaps identifying the dorm room of the
unidentified photographer. The smokestack
of the central heating plant in the basement
of Orient Hall is billowing smoke, and the
squash courts on the side of the Memorial
Gymnasium are under construction. |
5. Blithewood in winter, ca. 1950. The
825-acre Blithewood estate was given as
a gift to the College in 1951 by Christian
Zabriskie, within weeks of the death of
his mother. This unexpected gift not only
provided the College with room for expansion,
but also land related to its own history;
the tract included the original estate of
John Bard. After years of being a women’s
dormitory, Blithewood now houses the Levy
Economics Institute.
6. The Bard Theater, ca. 1968. The
Zabriskie Coach House (or Carriage House)
was converted into a theater in 1955
mostly through the efforts of a group of
students. The Coach House Theater, which
replaced the Orient Theater, was in continuous
use until it was destroyed by fire in
February 1973. It was located near
the Ravines.
7. Hopson Cottage, ca. 1975. Originally
commissioned by the Bard Family as a residence
for St. Stephen’s first warden, George
Seymour, early students of the College took
their meals here with the rector and his
family. With the resignation of Rev. Seymour
in 1861, Rev. George Hopson occupied the
house until his death in 1913. In recent
decades, several long time faculty families
have made their homes here. Today, the
building houses the Office of Admissions.
Photograph by Guy Frank ’68.
8. Gahagan House, ca. 1971. In 1972,
Kline Commons was constructed, necessitating
the removal of Gahagan House
from what is now the terrace. In this picture,
Gahagan is being jacked up in preparation
for its move to its present location south
of the Ottoway Gate House. | 9. Blithewood gatehouse, ca. 1950s. Known today as the Jim and Mary Ottaway
Gatehouse, this hexagonal cottage was the
gatehouse to the original Blithewood estate
owned by Robert Donaldson. Before selling
Blithewood to John and Margaret Bard in
1854, he made many improvements with
input from Andrew Jackson Downing and
Alexander Jackson Davis. This Gothic Revival
style gatehouse was built in 1841 from a
design by A.J. Davis, making this the oldest
and most historically significant building on
the campus.
10. Robbins House, ca. 1950s. Robbins
was constructed in 1930 by the New York
Association for Improving the Condition of
the Poor (AICP) as additional accommodations
for the retirees who, having demonstrated
need and adaptability, were accepted
into the housing program at Ward Manor.
Along with Ward Manor and the Gatehouse,
Robbins was purchased by the College in
1963.
11. A mural painted in Albee Social, ca.
1942. Albee has since been renovated for
office space, and it is unknown when and
how this mural was covered.
12. Dwelling Units, ca. 1950s. Built in
1946 with Federal Housing Project funds,
the Dwelling Units, or “DUs” served as
dormitories, faculty and student apartments,
and painting studios. |
