sever hall, harvard university, richardsonian romanesque, architecture, brick, cambridge, massachusetts

This imposing door is on the west facade of Sever Hall at Harvard University. I was in Cambridge, MA recently and took the opportunity to stroll through the Harvard campus as it boasts many architecturally interesting buildings.

Sever Hall was built from 1878-1880 with a gift from Anne Sever in honor of her deceased husband by the famed American architect Henry Hobson Richardson. The distinctive style is now commonly referred to as Richardsonian Romanesque, a separate category of American Romanesque Revival.

Richardson’s buildings were oftentimes in stone, but this particular building is made of over 1.3 million bricks. The color of the building is unique on Harvard’s campus, and the architectural details of the building are outstanding. Every surface has something different to see, even in areas that aren’t often viewed.

I especially like the iron work on this particular door as well as the oversized nature of the entry. Wikipedia tells me that there is an acoustic trick within the archway. If you whisper into the bricks on one side of the arch, it can be heard clearly on the other side of the arch twelve feet away. I’ll have to try it next time I’m there!

Sever Hall is considered to be one of Richardson’s masterpieces, and it was given National Historic Landmark status in 1970 as an incredible example of this particular architectural style. I find the style to be quite distinctive and recognizable once you know the main characteristics which include heavy round arches over the windows or entryways, bold ornamentation, thick masonry walls and rounded towers with conical roofs.


This post is part of the Thursday Doors series on Norm 2.0. Take a look at his weekly round-up! Please visit my other Thursday Door posts as well, such as Greek Revival Home on the Guilford Green or The Thomas Hale House.

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14 Comments

  1. I love it – Wonderful choice!
    That reminds me, I should probably head over to the McGill campus here in Montreal, I’m sure I’ll find more than a few impressive old doors.

  2. Those are very impressive doors. Universities offer such a rich selection of doors, I love visiting them. I also like the ironwork on these. Nicely done Deb.

    1. Thanks, Dan! Harvard is a treasure trove of architecture! I would love to do a tour there one day – I’m sure it would be so interesting!

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