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Harvard Yard

Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience

A bird's-eye view of Harvard Yard, the historic heart of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Harvard Yard is the oldest and most famous part of Harvard University's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is a historic center and a busy crossroads that holds many important buildings and spaces. You can find most of the freshman dormitories, Harvard's biggest libraries, Memorial Church, several classrooms, and offices for important university leaders, including the president of Harvard University. There is also a statue of John Harvard there.

The Yard started growing in the 1600s when Harvard College bought its first piece of land in 1637. Today, it covers a grassy area of 22.4 acres and is bordered by Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge Street, Broadway, and Quincy Street. The Yard is surrounded by fences made mostly of iron, with some parts made of brick, and it has twenty-seven gates.

Subdivisions

Harvard Yard and environs, from the southeast. The Yard's most prominent buildings bound Tercentenary Theatre: Widener Library (center left), Memorial Church (opposite Widener), University Hall (just beyond Widener, white with white chimneys), and Sever Hall (red roof, opposite University Hall). The Old Yard is the treed area beyond University Hall.

The center of Harvard Yard is called Tercentenary Theatre. It is a big grassy area surrounded by important buildings like Widener Library, Memorial Church, University Hall, and Sever Hall. This space is used for special events such as graduation ceremonies and other important gatherings.

The western part of Harvard Yard, near Peabody Street and Harvard Square, is known as the Old Yard. Many first-year student rooms are located around this area. One notable building here is Massachusetts Hall, built in 1720, which is Harvard’s oldest building and the second-oldest academic building in the United States. It also houses the offices of the President of Harvard University.

Buildings

The Yard has many important buildings. Libraries include Widener Library, Houghton Library for rare books, and Lamont Library, the main library for students. Classroom buildings such as Sever Hall and Emerson Hall are also here. Freshman dorms include Massachusetts Hall, Wigglesworth Hall, Weld Hall, and several others.

Administrative buildings like Loeb House and Wadsworth House are also in the Yard, along with Holden Chapel, home to the Holden Choirs. Phillips Brooks House nearby supports students who help their communities through service to the community.

Images

[Massachusetts Hall](/wiki/Massachusetts_Hall_\(Harvard_University\))

[_John Harvard_ statue](/wiki/John_Harvard_\(statue\))

The Yard in winter

The Yard ca. 1920

Wadsworth House, August 6, 1920. Boston Public Library, Arts Department

Images

Massachusetts Hall, one of the oldest buildings at Harvard University.
Statue of John Harvard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
A serene winter view of Harvard Yard, showcasing the university campus blanketed in snow.
A historic view of Harvard Yard at Harvard University, taken in 1920.
The Wadsworth House in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, served as a home for Harvard University presidents from 1726 to 1849.
Map highlighting the location of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Related articles

Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Harvard Yard, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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