Post
# 4: Primary Source-derived Historical Context
10/14/12
An examination of two news articles– one a Washington Post obituary eulogizing
architect H.H. Richardson upon his death in 1886 and the other a New York Times account of a Law School
Association meeting that was part of Harvard’s 250th anniversary
celebration– reveals just how critical a role Austin Hall played in this
nation’s architectural and legal history. Moreover, what perhaps comes as a
surprise is that journalists at the time were already aware of the lasting
legacy of the events that they had witnessed. Such precious insight speaks to
the immensity of the importance of the buildings Richardson created. It also reminded me that the effect of restoration of Austin to the point that it resembles what must have been its appearance post construction is that I feel connected to this celebration in experiencing Austin- a connection whose specifics I now understand. To think that the luminaries of the 1880s were on hand before this very building is a reminder of the building's interaction with its environment that is more extensive than meets the eye. I now have difficulty look at Austin without immediately recalling its History in my mind.
Richardson’s
“pupils may be found among the rising men of his profession almost everywhere
in America,” opined the Post, “his
name will always be inseparably associated with the architectural development
of art in America.” This widely circulated statement can only be read as
reflecting the near-universal spirit of common amity towards Richardson’s
achievements. The fact that his “creations grace and dignify Washington among
other principal cities of the Republic” was not the only thing to render
Richardson so notable. The Post argues
that it was his ability to achieve such widespread acclaim precisely by
channeling foreign architecture to create an entirely new style that makes him
so remarkable. It is this context– that of a public awareness that this genius
in life would retain or even grow in meaning after death– in which Austin Hall must be considered.
As a late life creation for Richardson, the building could not disappoint such
high expectations and yet also had to prove to be something that its user,
Harvard, could be proud of as a symbol of its nascent law school.
The
meeting described by the Times reflects
Austin Hall’s near immediate status as a source of pride for Harvard. It was a
setting in which the University and Law School sought fit to host numerous
luminaries of the day, including Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. As a centerpiece of
the celebration of the University’s past two centuries and a half, the
building, much like its architect, recalled a tradition in order to look
towards the future. It should be noted, however, that the principal portion of
the day’s festivities were relocated to Sander’s Theatre, probably out of space
considerations but perhaps also signaling that the building, as an innovation,
was too young to be the backdrop for the main event of the day. Something about an event commemorating the founding of the oldest higher education institution in America demanded a building that was not quite so new; establishments of that time would seem to prefer celebrating their heritage by looking backward rather than forward. In spite of
this reality, this article shows Austin Hall’s role in the development of
the Law School as a separate entity in American education.
Though
we now know that Austin Hall represents some of the best of Richardson’s
contributions to architectural traditions in this country as well as the
development of the educational system, it is reassuring to know that this
reading is not just the bias of hindsight. Richardson’s contemporaries felt so
too, making his work, as embodied in Austin Hall, all the more special.
References
"An American Architect." The Washington Post (1877-1922), Apr 30, 1886. http://search.proquest.com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/docview/138056241?accountid=11311;
http://sfx.hul.harvard.edu/hvd?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&genre=article&sid=ProQ:ProQ%3Ahnpwashingtonpost&atitle=An+American+Architect.&title=The+Washington+Post+%281877-1922%29&issn=&date=1886-04-30&volume=&issue=&spage=2&au=&isbn=&jtitle=The+Washington+Post+%281877-1922%29&btitle=.
prod1.hul.harvard.edu/docview/94355820?accountid=11311; http://sfx.hul.harvard.edu /hvd?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&genre=article&sid=ProQ:ProQ%3Ahnpnewyorktimes&atitle=HARVARD%27S+CELEBRATION%3A+INAUGURATED+BY+THE+LAW+SCHOOL+ASSOCIATION.+AN+ELOQUENT+ADDRESS+BY+OLIVER+WENDELL+HOLMES%2C+JR.%2C+A+BUSINESS+MEETING%2C+AND+A+BANQUET.&title=New+York+Times+%281857-1922%29&issn=&date=1886-11-06&volume=&issue=&spage=3&au=&isbn=&jtitle=New+York+Times+%281857-1922%29&btitle
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