Lowell House is one of twelve undergraduate residential Houses at Harvard University, located at 10 Holyoke Place facing Mount Auburn Street between Harvard Yard and the Charles River. Officially, it is named for the Lowell family, but the letters ALL above the main gate reference Abbott Lawrence Lowell, Harvard's president at the time of construction. Its neo-Georgian design, centered on two landscaped courtyards, received the 1938 Harleston Parker Medal. Lowell House is simultaneously close to the Yard, Harvard Square, and other Harvard "River" houses. Its blue-capped bell tower is a local landmark.

History and traditions

thumb|Lowell House bell tower in autumn.

Lowell was one of the first Houses built in the realization of President Lowell's goal of providing on-campus accommodations for every Harvard College student throughout his career at the college. (See Harvard College house system.) Its first Master, was Mathematics Department chairman Julian Lowell Coolidge, who also instituted Monday-night high table. Lowell's sister college at Yale University is Pierson College.

House traditions include Tea on Thursday afternoons, a May Day Waltz at dawn on the Weeks Footbridge, high table,

Architecture

Designed by the firm of Coolidge Shepley Bulfinch and Abbott and constructed in 1930 for $3.62 million,<!--despite the cite to the LoHo website, this cost seems much too high for just the one House in 1930-ish dollars; I believe this was the cost of the initial batch of 2 or 3 Houses, though I could be wrong. A non-web site would be desirable. -->

the House was named for the prominent Lowell family, closely identified with Harvard since John Lowell graduated in 1721. The busts of President Abbott Lawrence Lowell (1909–1933) and poet James Russell Lowell, are featured in the main courtyard. In the Dining Hall are portraits of Lowell and his wife Anna Parker Lowell; his sister, poet Amy Lowell; his brother, astronomer Percival Lowell; and his grandfather John Amory Lowell.

Prior to the 1996 transition to randomized House assignments, Lowell's central location, picturesque courtyard, elegant dining hall, and charming traditions made it a popular housing choice.

The Lowell House arms are those of the Lowell family,

Like those seen today on Dunster and Eliot Houses, Lowell's tower was originally meant to be a clock-towerLowell's in particular is reminiscent of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, although it was actually modeled after a Dutch church. With word of Crane's gift, the planned tower was changed to the blue-capped bell tower seen today.

(One of the eighteen bells did not harmonize with the others, so was hung in the Harvard Business School's Baker Library.) <!-- Did this one go back to Danilov as well, does anyone know? YES, it did-->

The bells originally hung in Moscow's Danilov Monastery (now the seat of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church) and were installed with the help, at first, of musician Konstantin Konstantinovich Saradzhev, and Vsevolod Andronoff, a former resident of the monastery

The now-departed bells may still be heard on the Lowell House Virtual Bell Tower. The bells sound Sunday afternoons during term time, and at special events such as commencement.

Notable alumni

thumb|upright=1.3|right|Lowell House courtyard in winter.<gallery class="center">

File:Justice Blackmun Official.jpg|Harry Blackmun

File:Priscilla Chan, 2018 (cropped).jpg|Priscilla Chan

File:MichaelCrichton 2.jpg|Michael Crichton

File:Matt Damon-60048.jpg|Matt Damon

File:Senator Ruben Gallego Official Portrait (cropped 3).jpg|Ruben Gallego

File:Walter Isaacson VF 2012 Shankbone 2.JPG|Walter Isaacson

File:Nicholas D. Kristof - Davos 2010.jpg|Nicholas Kristof

File:Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, official portrait.jpg|Ned Lamont

File:Natalie Portman (48470988352) (cropped).jpg|Natalie Portman

File:Tom Lehrer - Southern Campus 1960.jpg|Tom Lehrer

File:Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako 20190515 (cropped).jpg|Empress Masako

File:DavidSouter.jpg|David Souter

File:John Updike, author at PEN Congress, cropped.jpg|John Updike

File:Chris Wallace 2015.jpg|Chris Wallace

File:Governor-healey-participates-in-fireside-chat-with-nh-gov-sununu 53662835948 o (1).jpg|Kristen Welker

</gallery>Other notable former residents and alumni of Lowell House include John Ashmead, John Berendt, Philip F. Gura, Vanessa Lann, Alan Jay Lerner, Robert Lowell, Anthony Lewis, Frank Rich, Ryan Max Riley, Subramanian Swamy, David Vitter, Andrew Weil, and Christian Wolff.

References

  • Lowell House
  • Lowell House Committee
  • Lowell House Opera, established in 1938, New England's oldest opera company
  • Photographic views of Lowell House, 1929-1967: an inventory