Bascom Hill is the main quadrangle

Quadrangle (architecture)

In architecture, a quadrangle is a space or courtyard, usually rectangular in plan, the sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building. The word is probably most closely associated with college or university campus architecture, but quadrangles may be found in other...

 that forms the symbolic core of the University of Wisconsin–Madison

University of Wisconsin–Madison

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...

 campus. It is located on the opposite end of State Street from the Wisconsin State Capitol

Wisconsin State Capitol

The Wisconsin State Capitol, in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor. Completed during 1917, the building is the fifth to serve as the Wisconsin capitol since the first territorial legislature...

, and is named after John Bascom

John Bascom

John Bascom was born on May 1, 1827 in Genoa, New York and was a graduate of Williams College with the class of 1849. He graduated from the Andover Theological Seminary in 1855. Besides the degrees he got in those places, he held many other scholarly and honorary degrees...

, former president of the University of Wisconsin. The hill itself is a drumlin

Drumlin

A drumlin, from the Irish word droimnín , first recorded in 1833, is an elongated whale-shaped hill formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or ground moraine.-Drumlin formation:...

, formed by glacial deposits about 18,000 years ago.
The hill is crowned by Bascom Hall, the main administration building for the campus. Near the main entrance to Bascom Hall sits a statue of President Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...

. The first university building, North Hall

North Hall, University of Wisconsin

North Hall, University of Wisconsin was the first structure on the University of Wisconsin campus. Located on Bascom Hill, it was built in 1851 at a cost of $19,000. John Muir resided in North Hall when he was a student at the University. It currently houses the offices of the political science...

, was constructed on Bascom Hill in 1851 and is still in use by the Department of Political Science

Political science

Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...

. The second building, South Hall, was built in 1855 and is now used by the administration of the University of Wisconsin College of Letters and Science.

Bascom Hill is also home to Birge Hall, which houses the Department of Botany

Botany

Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...

; Music Hall; Science Hall, which houses the Department of Geography

Geography

Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...

 and the Gaylord Nelson

Gaylord Nelson

Gaylord Anton Nelson was an American politician from Wisconsin who served as a United States Senator and governor. A Democrat, he was the principal founder of Earth Day.-Public service and leadership:...

 Institute for Environmental Studies; the Education Building, originally home to the School of Engineering; and the University of Wisconsin Law School

University of Wisconsin Law School

The University of Wisconsin Law School is the professional school for the study of law at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. The law school was founded in 1868.-Facilities:...

.

External links

• Bascom Hill photo gallery from the Wisconsin Electronic Reader
• Bascom Hill Pink Flamingo from the Wisconsin Historical Society