Date of Construction: c. 1832-34
Architect/Designer: Winslow Lewis
Current Function: University Gallery; Department of Art History; Winterthur Program in Early American Culture; Art Conservation Program; Museum Studies Program.
Old College is the oldest and most recognized building on the University of Delaware campus. Bostonian Charles Bullfinch, architect of the national capitol, submitted a design for Newark College in 1826, but a shortage of funds prevented its construction. In 1832, architect and builder Winslow Lewis, known for the more than 100 lighthouses he built, was contracted to execute one of his own designs. Bullfinch and Lewis may have been acquainted, and it seems probable that Lewis was influenced by some of Bullfinch's designs such as the preliminary plan for University Hall at Harvard. One of the few Greek Revival buildings in Delaware, Old College features a projecting center block with columns and a pedimented porch resembling a Greek temple. Matching porticos at the ends of the wings were part of the original design, but were not added until an expansion in 1902. From 1853 to 1916, a cupola sat on the roof. Linden trees lining the walkway to the entrance have apparently been part of the landscape since the mid-nineteenth century. The iron fence surrounding the Old College campus on the south and west dates from the 1890s or earlier. Until 1888, this building housed all functions of the college. Classrooms, dining areas and a kitchen with a brick oven occupied the ground floor. The main level held more classrooms, the oratory and sleeping spaces. Small dormitory rooms filled the third floor. Heavy use and the rowdiness of teenage boys took their toll (one prank involved leading a bull up to the third floor). By 1901, the building had fallen into disrepair. Although architect Frank Miles Day suggested in 1915 that he could design a new building for less than the cost of renovating the old, benefactors H. Rodney Sharp and Pierre S. du Pont insisted that it be saved. A major renovation in 1916 resulted in the notable Colonial Revival interior and converted the space to a social center. The name "Old College" was applied after this change. An additional renovation took place in 1978. Old College has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973.