Harkness Tower

Harkness Tower is a prominent Gothic Revival structure at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. The tower was constructed between 1917 and 1921 as part of the Memorial Quadrangle donated to Yale by Anna M. Harkness in honor of her recently deceased son, Charles William Harkness, Yale class of 1883, and the second son of Stephen V. Harkness, an early investor in the company that became Standard Oil. It was designed by James Gam... more

Harkness Tower is a prominent Gothic Revival structure at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. The tower was constructed between 1917 and 1921 as part of the Memorial Quadrangle donated to Yale by Anna M. Harkness in honor of her recently deceased son, Charles William Harkness, Yale class of 1883, and the second son of Stephen V. Harkness, an early investor in the company that became Standard Oil. It was designed by James Gamble Rogers, who designed many of Yale's "Collegiate Gothic" structures. Rogers said his design for the tower was inspired by "Boston Stump," the 272-foot tower of the parish church of St Botolph in Boston, England. The 15th-century Boston Stump is the tallest parish church tower in England. Rogers also based some details on the 16th-century tower of St Giles church in Wrexham, Wales, where Elihu Yale is buried. James S. Hedden was the contractor's supervisor for the project. His photographs of the early construction are in Yale University... less