Two views of the Memorial Hall tower before it was destroyed by fire in 1956. Photos courtesy of the University Archives.

The Memorial Hall tower, which was first erected in 1874, altered twice, and finally destroyed in a 1956 fire, will be rebuilt this year.

"Early in The University Campaign, we promised ourselves that by the end of the drive, we would not only have completed the restoration of Memorial Hall as it stands but also undertake to rebuild its tower," said President Neil L. Rudenstine. "The Hall should not remain perpetually decapitated. Architecturally and symbolically, it deserves to have its capstone in place once again."

Gifts from Katherine B. Loker -- whose major commitment explicitly for this purpose provided the impetus for the restoration project to move forward -- Louis J. Appell Jr. '47, Abram T. Collier '34, LLB '37, AMP '52, Eleanor Foley Glimp '48, Graham Gund MAR '68, MAU '69, Jonathan M. Kemper '75, MBA '79, George S. Richardson '43, MD '46, and several others whose gifts are anonymous are funding the project.

"I'm not-so-secretly delighted that these generous donors feel strongly about our restoring Memorial Hall to its original grandeur," said Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Jeremy R. Knowles. "They recognize the building's importance to Harvard's landscape. We shall now end more than 40 years of sad truncation, and -- marking the end of the century and of the campaign -- bring Memorial Hall back into its splendid dominance."

One of Harvard's most distinguished and cherished buildings, Memorial Hall was conceived and brought to fruition by a group of dedicated College graduates who wanted to memorialize their classmates who had died in service to the Union in the Civil War.

William Robert Ware, Class of 1852, and Henry Van Brunt, Class of 1854, were chosen as architects and the cornerstone was laid in 1870. Four years later, the Great Hall and memorial transept were dedicated for use. Sanders Theatre was finished in 1878. That same year, copper ornamentation was added to the original slate tower in what the architects called the "culmination" of their design. In 1897, the tower was altered again to install a bell and four clock faces.

This month, plans were finalized for a tower of polychromatic slate that replicates almost exactly the structure known as the "1878 tower."

Memorial Hall won a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences has undertaken meticulous historical research to ensure that every detail of color and material is reproduced with integrity. Margaret Henderson Floyd, who edited Bainbridge Bunting's Harvard: An Architectural History, compiled a comprehensive historic structures report. Additional valuable sources referred to include the original Ware and Van Brunt drawings, archival photos from the 1870s to the 1950s, and a 60-second amateur video of the fire that destroyed the tower. The planning team has painstakingly pieced together the details of the steel and wood structure; the red, green, and black slates; the copper cladding; and the sandstone and brick pinnacles.

"It is exciting to be working on a truly historic project," said Elizabeth Randall, capital projects manager in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences physical resources group.

"In some ways, it is harder to recreate something than to do the original work," acknowledged Randall. "We have the advantages of modern times -- from cranes to digital imaging -- but are without the craftsmen who do this sort of work on a continual basis." She mentioned that modern contractors are unused to building without sealants and noted that the tower will include no caulking, "just copper, stone, and slate."

Harvard awarded the project to the Boston architectural firm Childs Bertman Tseckares. Provided that all the necessary permits are secured, construction is expected to begin in June and a December completion date is anticipated.

Early response to the tower restoration is enthusiastic.

"I think it's wonderful that the tower will be rebuilt," said Robert Campbell '58, MAR '67, architectural critic for the Boston Globe. "I am very pleased that Harvard chose the 1878 version -- it's by far the best. I'm also delighted that Harvard is building the tower from original materials."

Campbell added, "This project shows that Harvard is realizing the educational value of its built environment."

"Because of its architectural style, its location, and its associations with Harvard and the Civil War, Memorial Hall is one of the most significant Victorian-era buildings in America," said Charles M. Sullivan MCP '70, executive director of the Cambridge Historical Commission. "For many years, its tower was by far the tallest structure in Cambridge, and characterized the Cambridge skyline as much as the Custom House did in Boston before so many downtown office towers were built in the 1970s. Restoring the 1878 version, which Henry Van Brunt felt perfected his earlier design, is the right decision on both stylistic and historical grounds. This will be the most important architectural statement in Cambridge in the 1990s."