Aline Kim Writing Assignment 02
The bird’s-eye view map titled “Preliminary Sketch” was a plan to expand the campus of
Amherst College. As a group, we came to the conclusion that this map represented the very
beginning of Amherst College. On the map, a wall of trees completely isolates the campus and
nothing besides the college is drawn, indicating that Amherst College was placed in the idealized
rural setting that was very exclusive.1 We were able to conclude that the three buildings on the
right was the college row, consisting of the three foundations of the college: Johnson Chapel,
North College and South College. Although this birds-eye view does not show the elevation or
the design of the buildings, North and South look identical in their position and in their size. This
college row was flanked by to other buildings, which can be identified as Williston Hall and
Appleton Hall. Along the other side of the rectangular campus is Frost Library, and the building
next to Frost, we assumed was Barrett Hall because of its gothic architecture and the use of
granite instead of bricks. The building in the shape of a cross was most likely Stearns Steeple
because churches used to be built in the shape of a cross. The locations where the letter “S” was
placed would become the future buildings of our current campus. Though this birds-eye view
represents the original campus of the college, the perspective of the map alters the elevation of
the campus and the height of the buildings. It does not capture the size of the campus today, nor
the hills that portray Amherst College as the “college on the hill.”2
The next image was a photograph of Stearns Steeple. The photographer is at an angle that
photographs only the church and the trees that line the path to the entrance. The monochrome
color and the trees give the photograph an eerie touch. The gothic architecture of the church adds
1
Paul V. Turner, "The Colonial College," in Campus, An American Planning Tradition (New York: MIT Press,
1990), 18.
2
Paul V. Turner, "Expansion and Mythmaking," in Campus, An American Planning Tradition (New York: MIT
Press, 1990), 106.
to the tranquility, and reinforces the exclusiveness of Amherst College. However, the church was
destroyed in 1949, and only the steeple remains. The steeple is no longer isolated as the Mead
Art Museum, Stirn Auditorium, and two dormitories surround it. However, amongst the brick
buildings, the gothic architecture of the lone steeple brings a sense of awe to the viewers as it
symbolizes the religious history of the college.
The last image appears to be an aerial view of the campus. The image appears to be taken
from above, looking down; therefore, we could not get a sense of elevation, although we know
from experience that the field is downhill from the War Memorial. From this image, we were
able to identify Memorial Hill, Alumni Gymnasium, the War Memorial, and the Freshman Quad.
We were able to identify most the buildings we see on campus today, however, the design of
some buildings differed, such as the design of Frost Library. On the photograph, we could also
not see the Seeley Mudd Building, the Merrill Science Center and the McGuire Life Science
Building. We could, however, spot Stearns Steeple, and because we know it was demolished in
1949, we could predict that the photograph was taken before 1949. Unlike the two previous
photos, we could see the expansion of not only the college but also the expansion of the entire
town of Amherst. The campus is no longer in a rural, isolated setting, but rather it has become a
part of a larger community.
Through these photographs, and through the reading of Turner, I realized that a college
campus is the result of rigorous planning and designing. The layout of a college is not merely to
force people to walk long distances to the dining hall and to classes, but for the better of the
students, professors, and the community of the college. While Amherst College is no longer in a
completely exclusive, rural setting, the design of the college – the location of the classrooms,
dormitories, and the proximity to the town - symbolizes “the collegiate system of a close-knit
community.”3
3
Turner, "Expansion and Mythmaking," 125.
Aline Kim
Turner Abstract
In chapter one and chapter three of his book, Campus, An American Planning Tradition,
Paul V. Turner describes the expansion of higher education in America, and the political and
aesthetical significance of a college campus on American architecture and society through
various images and publications. He explains the architecture of colonial colleges in the first
chapter, and then goes on to describe the cultural and environmental influences on campus
architecture in the third chapter. In chapter one, “The Colonial College”, Turner focuses on the
design and location of four colleges: Harvard, William and Mary, Yale and Princeton. The four
colleges not only showed a separation from the enclosed quadrangle design of English
universities, but also reflected individual colonial needs. These colleges were located in rural
settings and developed a new architectural design that encouraged a new sense of community
and a non-traditional curriculum. In chapter three, Turner describes the expansion of the secular
curriculum that was reflected in the architecture of the colleges. There was a Greek revival in
which the architecture reflected the classical Greek structures that symbolized a change in the
social life of students living on campus. The importance of being able to see nature and the use
of Gothic architecture became important in creating beautiful campuses that respected the past
arts as well as nature. Turner provides a very descriptive history of the American college
campus. His descriptions has given me an understanding of the rigorous planning that is put into
designing a campus to create a better community for students to study and develop in.