Nassau Hall
Encyclopedia
Nassau Hall is the oldest building at Princeton University
in the borough of Princeton
, New Jersey
(USA). At the time it was built in 1754, Nassau Hall was the largest building in colonial New Jersey. Designed originally by Robert Smith
, the building was subsequently remodeled by notable American architects Benjamin Latrobe
and John Notman
. In the early years of Princeton University (then the College of New Jersey), Nassau Hall accommodated classrooms, a library, a chapel, and residential space for students and faculty. It housed the university's first Department of Psychology
, for example.
During the events of the American Revolutionary War
, Nassau Hall was possessed by both British and American forces and suffered considerable damage, especially during the Battle of Princeton
on 3 January 1777. From July to October 1783, Princeton was the capital of the early United States of America, and Nassau Hall hosted the entire American government. The Congress of the Confederation
met in the building's library on the second floor. According to Princeton University, "Here Congress congratulated George Washington on his successful termination of the war, received the news of the signing of the definitive treaty of peace with Great Britain, and welcomed the first foreign minister—from the Netherlands—accredited to the United States."
At present, Nassau Hall houses Princeton University's administrative offices, including that of the university's president
. Old Nassau refers affectionately to the building and serves as a metonym for the university as a whole.
met for the first time in Nassau Hall on August 27, 1776.
The British Redcoats seized control of Nassau Hall in 1776, and American soldiers were forced to fire upon their own building in the Battle of Princeton
on January 3, 1777. Three cannonballs were fired, but only two made contact. One glanced off the south side of the building; the damage can still be seen today. Another cannonball flew through a window in the Faculty Room and "decapitated" King George's
portrait. The cannonball was said to have come from a gun in the artillery company commanded by Alexander Hamilton
, who had been rejected by Princeton when he first came to the colonies. The result of the battle was a decisive Patriot
victory, and Nassau Hall was retaken by the Americans.
The Congress of the Confederation
convened in Nassau Hall for a bit more than four months (from June 30, 1783, to November 4, 1783). The normal location in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
had to be vacated due to a rebellion among American soldiers.
Starting in 1869 each graduation class adds a new sprig of ivy to grow up the walls of the building.
The first U.S. commemorative postage stamp ever printed on colored paper honored Nassau Hall on its bicentennial. It depicted a front view of Nassau Hall. It was denominated at the then first class rate of 3 cents and was on orange paper. It was first issued at Princeton, N.J. on September 22, 1956.
in 1859. The lyrics were written by Harlan Page Peck, a member of Princeton's class of 1862, and first published in the March 1859 issue of Nassau Literary Magazine. The music, originally to be set to the tune of Auld Lang Syne
, proved unworkable, and Karl A. Langlotz, a professor of music at Princeton who had studied composition under Franz Liszt
, wrote a new melody for the song's lyrics. According to Leitch's A Princeton Companion, Langlotz "wrote the music for Old Nassau on the porch of his house at 160 Mercer Street one fine spring afternoon."
Peck's lyrics have been altered significantly over the years, and several verses of Peck's original text have been omitted. Once female students began to attend Princeton after the adoption of a coeducational program
in 1969, the song's lyrics were altered to become gender neutral.
The current lyrics of the song's first verse and refrain are as follows:
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in the borough of Princeton
Borough of Princeton, New Jersey
The Borough of Princeton is a borough and is one of the two municipalities making up Princeton, New Jersey. It lies in Mercer County, New Jersey, and is completely surrounded by Princeton Township, from which it was formed in 1894...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
(USA). At the time it was built in 1754, Nassau Hall was the largest building in colonial New Jersey. Designed originally by Robert Smith
Robert Smith (architect)
Robert Smith was a Scottish-born American architect who was based in Philadelphia. Smith's work includes buildings such as Carpenters' Hall, St. Peter's Church, and the steeple on Christ Church—constituted the greater part of the city's early skyline.-Early life:Smith was born in Dalkeith Parish,...
, the building was subsequently remodeled by notable American architects Benjamin Latrobe
Benjamin Latrobe
Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe was a British-born American neoclassical architect best known for his design of the United States Capitol, along with his work on the Baltimore Basilica, the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States...
and John Notman
John Notman
John Notman was a Scottish-born American architect, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is remembered for his churches, and for popularizing the Italianate style and the use of brownstone.-Career:...
. In the early years of Princeton University (then the College of New Jersey), Nassau Hall accommodated classrooms, a library, a chapel, and residential space for students and faculty. It housed the university's first Department of Psychology
Princeton University Department of Psychology
The Princeton University Department of Psychology, located in Green Hall, is an academic department of Princeton University on the corner of Washington St. and William St. in Princeton, New Jersey. For over a century, the department has been one of the most notable psychology departments in the...
, for example.
During the events of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, Nassau Hall was possessed by both British and American forces and suffered considerable damage, especially during the Battle of Princeton
Battle of Princeton
The Battle of Princeton was a battle in which General George Washington's revolutionary forces defeated British forces near Princeton, New Jersey....
on 3 January 1777. From July to October 1783, Princeton was the capital of the early United States of America, and Nassau Hall hosted the entire American government. The Congress of the Confederation
Congress of the Confederation
The Congress of the Confederation or the United States in Congress Assembled was the governing body of the United States of America that existed from March 1, 1781, to March 4, 1789. It comprised delegates appointed by the legislatures of the states. It was the immediate successor to the Second...
met in the building's library on the second floor. According to Princeton University, "Here Congress congratulated George Washington on his successful termination of the war, received the news of the signing of the definitive treaty of peace with Great Britain, and welcomed the first foreign minister—from the Netherlands—accredited to the United States."
At present, Nassau Hall houses Princeton University's administrative offices, including that of the university's president
President of Princeton University
Princeton University is led by a President selected by the Board of Trustees. Until the accession of Woodrow Wilson, a political scientist, in 1902, they were all clergymen, as well as professors. President Tilghman is a biologist; her two predecessors were economists.-Presidents:# Reverend...
. Old Nassau refers affectionately to the building and serves as a metonym for the university as a whole.
History
The New Jersey LegislatureNew Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
met for the first time in Nassau Hall on August 27, 1776.
The British Redcoats seized control of Nassau Hall in 1776, and American soldiers were forced to fire upon their own building in the Battle of Princeton
Battle of Princeton
The Battle of Princeton was a battle in which General George Washington's revolutionary forces defeated British forces near Princeton, New Jersey....
on January 3, 1777. Three cannonballs were fired, but only two made contact. One glanced off the south side of the building; the damage can still be seen today. Another cannonball flew through a window in the Faculty Room and "decapitated" King George's
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
portrait. The cannonball was said to have come from a gun in the artillery company commanded by Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
, who had been rejected by Princeton when he first came to the colonies. The result of the battle was a decisive Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
victory, and Nassau Hall was retaken by the Americans.
The Congress of the Confederation
Congress of the Confederation
The Congress of the Confederation or the United States in Congress Assembled was the governing body of the United States of America that existed from March 1, 1781, to March 4, 1789. It comprised delegates appointed by the legislatures of the states. It was the immediate successor to the Second...
convened in Nassau Hall for a bit more than four months (from June 30, 1783, to November 4, 1783). The normal location in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
had to be vacated due to a rebellion among American soldiers.
Starting in 1869 each graduation class adds a new sprig of ivy to grow up the walls of the building.
The first U.S. commemorative postage stamp ever printed on colored paper honored Nassau Hall on its bicentennial. It depicted a front view of Nassau Hall. It was denominated at the then first class rate of 3 cents and was on orange paper. It was first issued at Princeton, N.J. on September 22, 1956.
Princeton's alma mater
The song Old Nassau was adopted as Princeton University's alma materAlma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
in 1859. The lyrics were written by Harlan Page Peck, a member of Princeton's class of 1862, and first published in the March 1859 issue of Nassau Literary Magazine. The music, originally to be set to the tune of Auld Lang Syne
Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song . It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight...
, proved unworkable, and Karl A. Langlotz, a professor of music at Princeton who had studied composition under Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
, wrote a new melody for the song's lyrics. According to Leitch's A Princeton Companion, Langlotz "wrote the music for Old Nassau on the porch of his house at 160 Mercer Street one fine spring afternoon."
Peck's lyrics have been altered significantly over the years, and several verses of Peck's original text have been omitted. Once female students began to attend Princeton after the adoption of a coeducational program
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
in 1969, the song's lyrics were altered to become gender neutral.
The current lyrics of the song's first verse and refrain are as follows:
- Tune every heart and every voice,
- Bid every care withdraw;
- Let all with one accord rejoice,
- In praise of Old Nassau.
- Chorus
- In praise of Old Nassau we sing,
- Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!
- Our hearts will give while we shall live,
- Three cheers for Old Nassau.
Further reading
- Leitch, Alexander. A Princeton Companion. (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1978).
External links
- A Princeton Companion article on the Hall
- Princetoniana: Old Nassau
- Princetoniana: Nassau Hall
- Inscription on FitzRandolph Gate facing Nassau Hall
- An article on the Hall from the book American Places: Encounters with History
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Mercer County, New Jersey
- List of the oldest buildings in New Jersey