Nott Memorial: Difference between revisions

	Nott Memorial Hall
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. National Historic Landmark
	New York State Register of Historic Places
	View from east, 2009
Location	Schenectady, New York
Coordinates	42°49′2.06″N 73°55′49.09″W / 42.8172389°N 73.9303028°W
Built	1858
Architect	Edward Tuckerman Potter
Architectural style	High Victorian Gothic
NRHP reference No.	72000912
NYSRHP No.	09340.000005
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 5, 1972
Designated NHL	June 24, 1986
Designated NYSRHP	June 23, 1980

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The Nott Memorial is an elaborate 16-sided stone-masonry building which serves as both architectural and physical centerpiece of Union College in Schenectady, New York. Dedicated to Eliphalet Nott, president of Union for sixty-two years (1804–1866), the 110-foot (34 m) high by 89-foot (27 m) wide structure is a National Historic Landmark, noted for its Victorian architecture.

Design[edit]

Officially designated Nott Memorial Hall but referred to by generations of students and faculty simply as "The Nott", the building's centrality and initial design trace back to Josef Ramee's 1813 conception of the school grounds, the first planned college campus in the United States.

The Memorial was designed by Edward Tuckerman Potter, architect of area churches and homes, alumnus of the college, and grandson of President Nott. Construction began in 1858 and was completed in 1879. The result is one of very few 16-sided buildings in the world. The only other building in the Northeastern United States with such a distinction is Vermont's Round Church.

For nearly a century the Nott was mostly open inside. In 1961 the college moved its bookstore into the basement and configured the first two floors into theater in the round. The upper floors were eventually closed off and fell into disrepair.

Restoration[edit]

In 1993 the college began a complete renovation of the Nott, restoring it to its original design. The award-winning project was undertaken by noted Boston based architecture firm Finegold Alexander & Associates and carried out by A. J. Martini Inc., contractors.^[3] The bookstore and theater were moved to other locations on the campus, and in 1995 the Nott reopened on the celebration of Union's 200th anniversary.

Once again, the center of the Nott is completely open to the top of its dome 102 feet (31 m) overhead. The main floor is a meeting room with seating for up to 400; the second and third levels ring the space and include galleries and informal meeting places for students. Two-hundred eighty-eight restored stained glass windows bathe the interior in colored light. Atop the dome a quotation in colored slate from Rabbi Tarfon, found in the Talmud's Pirkei Avot 2:15, which proclaims in Hebrew: "The day is short, and the work is plentiful, and the laborers are indolent, and the reward is great, and the master of the house is insistent."

The Memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and was further declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986.^[2]^[4]

Mandeville Gallery[edit]

The Mandeville Gallery opened in 1995 following the major restoration of the Nott Memorial and is located on the second floor. The Mandeville Gallery presents changing exhibitions featuring nationally recognized, contemporary artists exploring modern issues.

The Wikoff Student Gallery is located on the third floor of the Nott Memorial and presents changing exhibitions featuring the work of current, full-time Union College students.

Due to the unusual architecture of the Nott Memorial, the Mandeville Gallery provides a unique environment for viewing exhibitions. The Gallery is a mezzanine, open to the floors above and below, and is composed of two semi-circular areas of viewing, creating an atypical but creative gallery venue.

References[edit]

^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
^ ^a ^b "Nott Memorial Hall". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 17, 2007. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011.
^ "Martini Construction – Union College Nott Memorial". Archived from the original on October 25, 2006. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
^ Carolyn Pitts (July 1985). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Nott Memorial Hall" (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying photo, exterior, from 1964 (97.8 KiB)

External links[edit]

Nott Memorial | Union College
Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. NY-3270, "Union College, Nott Memorial Library, Schenectady, Schenectady County, NY", 7 photos, 9 data pages

[nris-1] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.

[nhlsum-2] "Nott Memorial Hall". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 17, 2007. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011.

[3] "Martini Construction – Union College Nott Memorial". Archived from the original on October 25, 2006. Retrieved June 15, 2008.

[nrhpinv-4] Carolyn Pitts (July 1985). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Nott Memorial Hall" (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying photo, exterior, from 1964 (97.8 KiB)

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[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
-{{Infobox NRHP | name =Nott Memorial Hall
+{{More citations needed|date=June 2023}}
+{{Infobox NRHP
+| name = Nott Memorial Hall
 | nrhp_type = nhl
 | locmapin = New York#USA
-| image =NottMemorialPano.jpg
+| image = NottMemorialPano.jpg
-| caption =View from east, 2009
+| caption = View from east, 2009
-| location= [[Schenectady, New York]]
+| location = [[Schenectady, New York]]
 | coordinates = {{coord|42|49|2.06|N|73|55|49.09|W|display=inline,title}}
 | area =
-| built =1858
+| built = 1858
-| architect= [[Edward Tuckerman Potter]]
+| architect = [[Edward Tuckerman Potter]]
-| architecture= Gothic, Other
+| architecture = [[High Victorian Gothic]]
-| designated_nrhp_type= June 24, 1986<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1253&ResourceType=Building
+| designated_nrhp_type = June 24, 1986<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1253&ResourceType=Building|title=Nott Memorial Hall|date=2007-09-17|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606095605/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1253&ResourceType=Building|archivedate=2011-06-06}}</ref>
-|title=Nott Memorial Hall|date=2007-09-17|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
 | added = May 5, 1972<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
+| refnum = 72000912
-| governing_body = Private
+| designated_other1 = New York State Register of Historic Places
-| refnum=72000912
+| designated_other1_number = 09340.000005
+| designated_other1_num_position = bottom
+| designated_other1_abbr = NYSRHP
+| designated_other1_date = June 23, 1980
 }}
-The '''Nott Memorial''' is an elaborate 16-sided stone-masonry building which serves as both architectural and physical centerpiece of [[Union College]] in [[Schenectady]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. Dedicated to [[Eliphalet Nott]], president of Union for a remarkable sixty-two years (1804–1866), the {{convert|110|ft|m|sing=on}} high by {{convert|89|ft|m|sing=on}} wide structure is a [[National Historic Landmark]].
+The '''Nott Memorial''' is an elaborate 16-sided stone-masonry building which serves as both architectural and physical centerpiece of [[Union College]] in [[Schenectady]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. Dedicated to [[Eliphalet Nott]], president of Union for sixty-two years (1804–1866), the {{convert|110|ft|m|adj=on}} high by {{convert|89|ft|m|adj=on}} wide structure is a [[National Historic Landmark]], noted for its Victorian architecture.
 ==Design==
-[[Image:NottMemorialHall HABS view1 cropped.jpg|thumb|left|100px|Nott Memorial in 1962]]
+[[File:NottMemorialHall HABS view1 cropped.jpg|thumb|left|100px|Nott Memorial in 1962]]
-Officially designated '''Nott Memorial Hall''' but referred to by generations of students and faculty simply as "The Nott" or "The Nipple" (sometimes "The Nipple of Knowledge"), the building's centrality and initial design trace back to Josef Ramee's 1813 conception of the school grounds, the first planned college campus in the United States.
+Officially designated '''Nott Memorial Hall''' but referred to by generations of students and faculty simply as "The Nott", the building's centrality and initial design trace back to Josef Ramee's 1813 conception of the school grounds, the first planned college campus in the United States.
-The Memorial was designed by [[Edward Tuckerman Potter]], architect of area churches and homes, alumnus of the college, and grandson of President Nott.  Construction began in 1858 and was completed in 1879.  The result is one of very few 16-sided buildings in the world.
+The Memorial was designed by [[Edward Tuckerman Potter]], architect of area churches and homes, alumnus of the college, and grandson of President Nott.  Construction began in 1858 and was completed in 1879.  The result is one of very few 16-sided buildings in the world. The only other building in the Northeastern United States with such a distinction is [[Vermont]]'s [[Round Church (Richmond, Vermont)|Round Church]].
 For nearly a century the Nott was mostly open inside.  In 1961 the college moved its bookstore into the basement and configured the first two floors into [[theater in the round]].  The upper floors were eventually closed off and fell into disrepair.
@@ Line 28: / Line 36: @@
 ==Restoration==
 [[File:NottMemorialInterior.jpg|thumb|left|100px|Interior of the Nott Memorial]]
-In 1993 the college began a complete renovation of the Nott, restoring it to its original design.  The award-winning project was undertaken by noted Boston based architecture firm [[Finegold Alexander + Associates Inc]] and carried out by A.J. Martini, Inc., contractors.<ref>[http://www.ajmartini.com/index.cfm/portfolio/Historic/Union_College_Nott_Memorial Martini Construction – Union College Nott Memorial<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The bookstore and theater were moved to other locations on the campus, and in 1995 the Nott reopened on the celebration of Union's 200th anniversary.
+In 1993 the college began a complete renovation of the Nott, restoring it to its original design.  The award-winning project was undertaken by noted Boston based architecture firm [[Finegold Alexander & Associates]] and carried out by A. J. Martini Inc., contractors.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ajmartini.com/index.cfm/portfolio/Historic/Union_College_Nott_Memorial |title=Martini Construction – Union College Nott Memorial<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2008-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061025212444/http://www.ajmartini.com/index.cfm/portfolio/Historic/Union_College_Nott_Memorial |archive-date=2006-10-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The bookstore and theater were moved to other locations on the campus, and in 1995 the Nott reopened on the celebration of Union's 200th anniversary.
-Once again, the center of the Nott is completely open to the top of its dome {{convert|102|ft|m}} overhead.  The main floor is a meeting room with seating for up to 400; the second and third levels ring the space and include galleries and informal meeting places for students. Two-hundred eighty-eight restored stained glass windows bathe the interior in colored light. Atop the dome a quotation in colored [[slate]] from Rabbi [[Tarfon]], found in the [[Talmud]]'s [[Pirkei Avot]], proclaims in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]:  "The day is short, the work is great, the reward is much, the Master is urgent."
+Once again, the center of the Nott is completely open to the top of its dome {{convert|102|ft|m}} overhead.  The main floor is a meeting room with seating for up to 400; the second and third levels ring the space and include galleries and informal meeting places for students. Two-hundred eighty-eight restored stained glass windows bathe the interior in colored light. Atop the dome a quotation in colored [[slate]] from Rabbi [[Tarfon]], found in the [[Talmud]]'s [[Pirkei Avot]] 2:15, which proclaims in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]:  "The day is short, and the work is plentiful, and the laborers are indolent, and the reward is great, and the master of the house is insistent."
-The Memorial was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1972 and was further declared a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1986.<ref name="nhlsum"/><ref name="nrhpinv">{{Cite journal|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Nott Memorial Hall|url={{NHLS url|id=72000912}} |format=pdf|author=Carolyn Pitts|date=July 1985|publisher=National Park Service}} and {{NHLS url|id=72000912|title=''Accompanying photo, exterior, from 1964''|photos=y}}&nbsp;{{small|(97.8&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]])}}</ref>
+The Memorial was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1972 and was further declared a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1986.<ref name="nhlsum"/><ref name="nrhpinv">{{Cite web|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Nott Memorial Hall|url={{NHLS url|id=72000912}} |format=pdf|author=Carolyn Pitts|date=July 1985|publisher=National Park Service}} and {{NHLS url|id=72000912|title=''Accompanying photo, exterior, from 1964''|photos=y}}&nbsp;{{small|(97.8&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]])}}</ref>
 ===Mandeville Gallery===
+[[File:Nott Interior.tif|thumb|left|The Interior of the Nott Memorial. The Mandeville Gallery is the second floor.]]
-The '''Mandeville Gallery''', a free gallery opened in 1995 and located on the second floor of the Nott Memorial, presents changing exhibits of contemporary art, science and history.
+The [[Mandeville Gallery]] opened in 1995 following the major restoration of the Nott Memorial and is located on the second floor. The Mandeville Gallery presents changing exhibitions featuring nationally recognized, contemporary artists exploring modern issues.
+The Wikoff Student Gallery is located on the third floor of the Nott Memorial and presents changing exhibitions featuring the work of current, full-time Union College students.
+Due to the unusual architecture of the Nott Memorial, the Mandeville Gallery provides a unique environment for viewing exhibitions. The Gallery is a mezzanine, open to the floors above and below, and is composed of two semi-circular areas of viewing, creating an atypical but creative gallery venue.
+{{clear}}
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
 ==External links==
+{{Commons}}
-*{{Commonscat-inline}}
+* [https://www.union.edu/about/history-and-traditions/historic-campus/nott Nott Memorial] | Union College
-*{{HABS |survey=NY-3270 |id=ny0717 |title=Union College, Nott Memorial Library, Schenectady, Schenectady County, NY |photos=7 |data=9}}
+* {{HABS |survey=NY-3270 |id=ny0717 |title=Union College, Nott Memorial Library, Schenectady, Schenectady County, NY |photos=7 |data=9}}
-*https://muse.union.edu/mandeville/
 {{Union College}}
-{{Registered Historic Places}}
+{{National Register of Historic Places}}
 [[Category:National Historic Landmarks in New York (state)]]
@@ Line 55: / Line 70: @@
 [[Category:Buildings and structures in Schenectady County, New York]]
 [[Category:Tourist attractions in Schenectady County, New York]]
-[[Category:Art galleries in New York (state)]]
+[[Category:Art museums and galleries in New York (state)]]
 [[Category:Edward Tuckerman Potter buildings]]
 [[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Schenectady County, New York]]
+[[Category:New York State Register of Historic Places in Schenectady County]]

v t e Union College
People of Union College	List of alumni Eliphalet Nott Joseph Jacques Ramée (campus architect)
Academics	Development of the Curriculum Academic Program Undergraduate Research Study Abroad Rankings
Culture	History Song to Old Union Arts and Culture Concordiensis (student paper) Steinmetz Lectures WRUC (student radio station) Minerva System Fraternity and Sorority Life Men's Glee Club
Campus	Nott Memorial (National Historic Landmark) Schaffer Library Campus design Landmarks Theme Houses Achilles Rink
Athletics	Athletics Men's Ice Hockey Women's Ice Hockey

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