Voorhees Mall
Encyclopedia
Voorhees Mall is a large grassy area with stately shade trees on a block (sometimes known as "Voorhees Campus") of about 28 acres (0.11 km²) located on the College Avenue Campus of Rutgers University
near downtown New Brunswick
, New Jersey
. An eclectic mix of architectural styles, Voorhees Mall is lined by many historic academic buildings. The block is bound by Hamilton Street (to the east), George Street (north), College Avenue (south) and Seminary Place (west). At the mall's western end, across Seminary Place, is the campus of the New Brunswick Theological Seminary
, whose history is intertwined with the early history of Rutgers University. Across Hamilton Street is the block called Old Queens
, the seat of the university.
The mall bisecting the block was formed when Bleeker Place, a city street, was closed. After several generous donations to Rutgers, including the first building dedicated to housing the institution's library (now known as Voorhees Hall), the grassy mall was named for Ralph and Elizabeth Rodman Voorhees.
Voorhees Mall is the site of annual commencement exercises for the university.
was named) erected this Italianate-Victorian brownstone which he named Riverstede as his home in 1868. It later was the home of William Henry Steele Demarest
(1863–1956), eleventh President of Rutgers University (from 1906 to 1924), during his tenure as President of the New Brunswick Theological Seminary
from 1924 to 1934. Today, Riverstede houses Campus Information Services, however, previously it was home to the Raritan Club, the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, the Partisan Review, a female graduate student residence, the Rutgers Religious Ministry and the Office of Career Services.
). It initially housed the college's departments of Chemistry and Biology. Today, New Jersey Hall houses the university's Department of Economics and the New Jersey Bureau of Economic Research. It is primarily an office building.
Recent efforts have been made to rename New Jersey Hall in honor of Nobel laureate Milton Friedman
who graduated from Rutgers College with a Bachelor of Arts
(A.B.) in 1932.
in 1983. Today it houses the university's Department of Art History
and the Art History Library which was expanded into an addition to Voorhees Hall in 2002.
, Murray Hall was named for David Murray, professor of mathematics and astronomy at Rutgers College and college trustee. Murray assisted George Cook in establishing the Rutgers Scientific School (now part of Cook College
) and in getting Rutgers named a land-grant college under the Morrill Act of 1862. Today, Murray Hall houses classrooms and the university's Department of English and Writing Program.
(1775–1852), professor of didactic theology in the New Brunswick Theological Seminary
, trustee of Queen's College
, and fifth President of Rutgers College
from 1825-1840. Rev. Milledoler was also the person who suggested the name of the college be changed from Queen's College to Rutgers College in 1825. He wanted to honor Colonel Henry Rutgers, a Revolutionary War hero and a member of his congregation. Currently, this building houses several administrative offices for Rutgers College, including the Office of the Dean.
. It is named for John U. Ford, a trustee of the university and former entrepreneur in the rubber
industry. The building was designed by architect Bertram Goodhue, also known for Gothic revival churches, the Los Angeles Public Library, and the Nebraska state capitol building. The lounge is the only part of the building that is air conditioned.
Fenton B. Turck, a New York physician and biologist, with the assistance of railroad magnate, and longtime Rutgers alumnus and trustee, Leonor F. Loree
(Rutgers College Class of 1877), anonymously donated a statue of Prince William the Silent
(1533–1584) of the House of Nassau
and later Prince of Orange
, who was the leader of the Dutch rebellion against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces
in 1648. Turck, of Dutch extraction, intended to give the statue to the University to signify the institution's Dutch roots. He kept the statue in the basement of his laboratory in Manhattan for eight years before it was unveiled on the present Voorhees Mall on 9 June 1928. According to student tradition, the statue is said to whistle when a virgin passes by, and has therefore remained "silent."
This statue is the only replica of the Lodewyck Rowyer original that stands in The Hague
.
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
near downtown New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
, 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...
. An eclectic mix of architectural styles, Voorhees Mall is lined by many historic academic buildings. The block is bound by Hamilton Street (to the east), George Street (north), College Avenue (south) and Seminary Place (west). At the mall's western end, across Seminary Place, is the campus of the New Brunswick Theological Seminary
New Brunswick Theological Seminary
New Brunswick Theological Seminary is a professional and graduate school founded in 1784, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to educate ministers for the congregations of the Reformed Church in America...
, whose history is intertwined with the early history of Rutgers University. Across Hamilton Street is the block called Old Queens
Old Queens
Old Queens is the oldest building at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in New Brunswick, New Jersey and the seat of the university's administration. Designed by noted architect John McComb, Jr., Old Queens is regarded by architectural experts as one of the finest examples of Federal...
, the seat of the university.
The mall bisecting the block was formed when Bleeker Place, a city street, was closed. After several generous donations to Rutgers, including the first building dedicated to housing the institution's library (now known as Voorhees Hall), the grassy mall was named for Ralph and Elizabeth Rodman Voorhees.
Voorhees Mall is the site of annual commencement exercises for the university.
Riverstede (1868)
Professor George H. Cook (for whom Cook CollegeCook College (Rutgers University)
The School of Environmental and Biological Sciences is a constituent school within Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey's flagship New Brunswick-Piscataway campus...
was named) erected this Italianate-Victorian brownstone which he named Riverstede as his home in 1868. It later was the home of William Henry Steele Demarest
William H. S. Demarest
The Reverend Dr. William Henry Steele Demarest was the eleventh President of Rutgers College serving from 1906 to 1924.-Biography:...
(1863–1956), eleventh President of Rutgers University (from 1906 to 1924), during his tenure as President of the New Brunswick Theological Seminary
New Brunswick Theological Seminary
New Brunswick Theological Seminary is a professional and graduate school founded in 1784, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to educate ministers for the congregations of the Reformed Church in America...
from 1924 to 1934. Today, Riverstede houses Campus Information Services, however, previously it was home to the Raritan Club, the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, the Partisan Review, a female graduate student residence, the Rutgers Religious Ministry and the Office of Career Services.
New Jersey Hall (1889)
New Jersey Hall was built from funds authorized by the New Jersey state legislature to construct an "Agricultural Hall" to house the State Experiment Station (now part of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, formerly Cook CollegeCook College (Rutgers University)
The School of Environmental and Biological Sciences is a constituent school within Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey's flagship New Brunswick-Piscataway campus...
). It initially housed the college's departments of Chemistry and Biology. Today, New Jersey Hall houses the university's Department of Economics and the New Jersey Bureau of Economic Research. It is primarily an office building.
Recent efforts have been made to rename New Jersey Hall in honor of Nobel laureate Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman was an American economist, statistician, academic, and author who taught at the University of Chicago for more than three decades...
who graduated from Rutgers College with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(A.B.) in 1932.
Ballantine Gymnasium (1894-1931)
Ballantine Hall was mostly destroyed by fire in the 1930s. The rear of the building remained standing, and when the College Avenue Gym was built a few blocks away, Ballantine Hall was used for classroom space. The Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum expanded over the remains of the Ballantine Gym, and the intact tiled pool is today used for storage. Parts of the old Ballantine facade can be seen in the parking lot behind the art museum and in the George Street entrance.http://arthistory.rutgers.edu/contact/voorheesBallantine.phpVoorhees Hall (1903)
Originally built to house the Rutgers College library, this building is named for Ralph and Elizabeth Rodman Voorhees. It later hosted the University Art Gallery which became the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art MuseumJane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum is located on the Voorhees Mall of the campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It was founded in 1966...
in 1983. Today it houses the university's Department of Art History
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
and the Art History Library which was expanded into an addition to Voorhees Hall in 2002.
Murray Hall (1909)
Originally built to house the College of Engineering, Murray Hall was designed by alumnus Douwe D. Williamson (Rutgers College Class of 1870) and Frederick P. Hill (Rutgers College Class of 1883). Built partly with a gift from steel magnate and industrialist Andrew CarnegieAndrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
, Murray Hall was named for David Murray, professor of mathematics and astronomy at Rutgers College and college trustee. Murray assisted George Cook in establishing the Rutgers Scientific School (now part of Cook College
Cook College (Rutgers University)
The School of Environmental and Biological Sciences is a constituent school within Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey's flagship New Brunswick-Piscataway campus...
) and in getting Rutgers named a land-grant college under the Morrill Act of 1862. Today, Murray Hall houses classrooms and the university's Department of English and Writing Program.
Milledoler Hall (1910)
Originally called the Chemistry Building, Milledoler Hall is named for Reverend Philip MilledolerPhilip Milledoler
Philip Milledoler was a minister and the fifth President of Rutgers College serving from 1825 until 1840.-Biography:Philip Milledoler was born in 1775 in Rhinebeck, New York...
(1775–1852), professor of didactic theology in the New Brunswick Theological Seminary
New Brunswick Theological Seminary
New Brunswick Theological Seminary is a professional and graduate school founded in 1784, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to educate ministers for the congregations of the Reformed Church in America...
, trustee of Queen's College
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, and fifth President of Rutgers College
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
from 1825-1840. Rev. Milledoler was also the person who suggested the name of the college be changed from Queen's College to Rutgers College in 1825. He wanted to honor Colonel Henry Rutgers, a Revolutionary War hero and a member of his congregation. Currently, this building houses several administrative offices for Rutgers College, including the Office of the Dean.
Graduate School of Education
The Graduate School of Education was originally part of the Graduate School-New Brunswick, founded in 1876 and one of the oldest graduate schools in the country. The GSE separated from the Graduate School in 1923 and its present building was constructed in 1961. Supported by stilts at its southern end, the Graduate School of Education is built in the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired Cantilever style of architecture.School of Social Work
This building was built as the home of the School of Ceramics (now the Department of Materials Science and Engineering) in 1922. The structural and design elements of the building are fabricated entirely of ceramic materials donated by the ceramics industry of New Jersey. The third floor classroom has a beautifully enormous gas-fired fireplace which was state of the art when constructed. The floor of the room consists entirely of hand-laid artistic tile, including an unusual feature, a pre-Nazi use of a then-innocuous pattern now known as the swastika. The Ceramic Engineering Department moved to Busch Campus in 1963 when the Engineering Building was constructed.Van Dyck Hall (1928)
Van Dyck Hall was built in 1928 and named after the first dean of Rutgers College, Francis C Van Dyck. Originally, it was part of the Rutgers Scientific School and housed the Physics department. Today, Van Dyck Hall houses classrooms and the university's Department of History.Ford Hall
Ford Hall was the second dormitory on campus, built in 1915 (and is the oldest one still in use as a dorm, Winants Hall having been converted decades ago to offices). Underneath the dorm is an old tunnel, dug in the 18th century to mine copper. The tunnel stretches from Mine Street, a few blocks down College Avenue and supposedly was used to help runaway slaves as part of the Underground Railroad and to smuggle alcohol during Prohibition . Today, Ford Hall is a graduate student dormitoryDormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
. It is named for John U. Ford, a trustee of the university and former entrepreneur in the rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
industry. The building was designed by architect Bertram Goodhue, also known for Gothic revival churches, the Los Angeles Public Library, and the Nebraska state capitol building. The lounge is the only part of the building that is air conditioned.
Scott Hall
Named for Austin Scott (1848–1922), the tenth President of Rutgers University and a history and political science professor, Scott Hall is a modern structure built in 1963. It is used as one of the campus's major classroom buildings, along with Murray Hall, Hardenbergh Hall, Frelinghuysen Hall, and Campbell Hall. The building's large auditorium classrooms are often used for movies, plays, and other gatherings as well as classes.William the Silent
Leonor F. Loree
Leonor Fresnel Loree was an executive of railroads in the United States.*Baltimore and Ohio Railroad: president 1901 - 1904*Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad president - 1904...
(Rutgers College Class of 1877), anonymously donated a statue of Prince William the Silent
William the Silent
William I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...
(1533–1584) of the House of Nassau
House of Nassau
The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled Count of Nassau, then elevated to the princely class as...
and later Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange is a title of nobility, originally associated with the Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France. In French it is la Principauté d'Orange....
, who was the leader of the Dutch rebellion against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
in 1648. Turck, of Dutch extraction, intended to give the statue to the University to signify the institution's Dutch roots. He kept the statue in the basement of his laboratory in Manhattan for eight years before it was unveiled on the present Voorhees Mall on 9 June 1928. According to student tradition, the statue is said to whistle when a virgin passes by, and has therefore remained "silent."
This statue is the only replica of the Lodewyck Rowyer original that stands in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
.