Vassar College is a selective, residential, coeducational liberal arts college, founded in 1861. It locates in Poughkeepsie (area population, about 100,000), 3 miles from the city center, 75 miles north of New York. Currently Vassar College has 2,450 students; in recent freshman classes, students of color comprised 32-38% of matriculants, and international students from over 60 countries comprise 8-10% of the student body. The campus comprises 1,000 acres and has over 100 academic and residential buildings ranging in style from collegiate gothic to modernist, including two National Historic Landmarks, one of which is the Main Building, designed by James Renwick.
The Main Building or “The College,” as it was initially called, Jr., was completed in 1865, four years after the original charter. The college opened with 353 students (Vassar: A photographic Celebration). The founder adopted the Tuileries, the ancient home of the French monarchy, as the model of the main building (Vassar). Containing a large number of recitation rooms, it was already the Centre of the home life of the students (Vassar) by providing accommodation for both academic and residential life (Vassar Encyclopedia). The library was on the third floor and the art gallery was on the fourth floor (residence-halls). Until Rockefeller Hall was built in 1898, Main, along with the Observatory (1864) and Vassar Brothers Laboratory, (188) was the primary place where Vassar education evolved. On February 12, 1918, a fire, know as the Fire of 1918, happened in Main Building, causing the total estimated damage at $165,000. In the summer of 1986, Main building, already listed on the Federal Register (1974), was designated as a National Historic Landmark, along with the Empire State Building and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in recognition of its significance as the place where a “Vassar education” started and were it was perfected (Vassar Encyclopedia).
Currently, the first two floors of the building are now administrative offices for the Office of the President, Residential Life, Dean of Studies, Registrar and many others. And it still remains the hub of activity at Vassar College, with a capacity of 351 students (Office of Residential Life). The College Center, at the rear of Main Building, provides rooms for social, education, and extracurricular activities and auxiliary services for the college community- housing the Office of Campus Activities, a post office, the Vassar College Bookstore, a computer store, the WVKR radio station, offices for student government, organizations, and publications, the Retreat dining area, the Kiosk coffee bar, and Matthew’s Mug. Moreover, the College Center also includes the College Information Center, the James W. Palmer III ’90 Gallery, and the multipurpose room. The College Information Center disseminates information about campus events as well as local area events and points of interests. The Palmer Gallery is open year-round with rotating exhibitions featuring the work of faculty, students, local artists, and arts organizations (VC Catalogue).
Old Main, Vassar College | |
 Building in 2007, seen from near the entrance to campus | |
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| Location | Poughkeepsie, New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°41′12.03″N 73°53′44.99″W / 41.6866750°N 73.8958306°W |
| Built | 1865 |
| Architect | James Renwick, Jr. |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001183 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 19, 1973[1] |
| Designated NHL | June 24, 1986[2] |
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ "Old Main, Vassar College". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. 2007-09-17.