Spring Break
Creating the castle
A history of the unique Brandeis structure
by Jordana Gluck
Features | 3/24/09
Posted online at 1:41 AM EST on 3/24/09
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
That is, until I catch a wift of the scent of dirty laundry and see caffeine driven students cramming for an exam.
Usen Castle has the feel of a residence hall mixed with the aura and mystique of a fortress.
The Castle is home to approximately 120 sophomores each year and comes complete with single, double and triple rooms, as well as suites, lounges, courtyards, balconies, fireplaces and its own coffeehouse and pottery studio. No two rooms are identical in this unique structure, as they differ in shape, size and structure.
"The castle is beautiful. I think its the prettiest piece of architecture at this school," said Shellie Burgman '11, who lives in the castle.
The land on which the castle was built is known as Boston Rock or Boston Rock Hill, deriving its name from being the "high rock promontory" of the Boston area. It is the point from which the area was first surveyed by John Winthrop, governor and leader of the Massachusetts Bay Company, a group of English Puritans Winthrop led to the New World in 1632.
It is the highest point west of the city on the perimeter of the metropolitan area, meaning that entire Boston skyline is visible upon peering out the highest east-facing windows, claims An Architectural Celebration of Brandeis University's 50th Anniversary, edited by Gerald S. Bernstein.
Construction on the castle began in 1928 on the campus of Middlesex University, which stood on the ground of what is today part of Brandeis' campus.
Middlesex University of Medicine and Surgery was founded by John Hall Smith in 1914. Smith's goal was to help design a unique campus for the university that mimicked the gothic styles of European universities in order to create an aura of mystique, according to Amy Debra Feinstein's senior thesis, Unlocking the Doors to the Past and Future; an Architectural and Social Exploration of the Irving and Edyth Usen Castle from the Robert D. Farber University Archives and Special Collections.
Construction of the castle began Oct. 22, 1928 when a permit was issued for a new $20,000 "anatomical building." The new facility was intended to be 40 feet tall and 60 feet around, but the Castle has expanded far beyond those measurements.
The Castle is constantly evolving-for instance,the current laundry room and pottery studio were originally used for refrigeration facilities. The common area in what is now known as Schwartz Hall originally was intended to be a trophy room for the students of Middlesex University.
Elana Rothenberg '11, who currently lives in a Castle suite, elaborated on the evolutionary nature of the Castle.
"Our walls are really thin because where we live they put up fake walls because our suite used to be an office. Our kitchen sink is literally a bathroom sink, because [the kitchen] used to be a bathroom," Rothenberg said.
Furthermore, the blueprints of the original Castle reveal that visitors could reach any part of the Castle from any other part without setting foot outside. But now, that advantage has been removed, as certain areas of the Castle have been blocked off in order to give residents more privacy and security.
Still, although the Castle is in a constant state of reconstruction, the exterior of the building has barely been touched in its 70 years of existence.
The Castle does not only evoke the general style of medieval dwellings; it also replicates precise details of European castles, such as the Windsor Castle of London.
Usen Castle's A Tower mimics Windsor Castle's east terrace. And just like Windsor Castle's, Brandeis' tower is rectilinear in form and rises four stories high, joining the rest of the complex at its two lowest levels. The two towers also share features like rhythmic corbels and tall battlements.
Smith emulated many European characteristics inside the Castle as well. There is a series of more than 10 porcelain plates and plaques in concrete of the Castle's walls. Although the most popular of the plates are portraits of George and Martha Washington, most plates depict European historical figures, coats of arms or major historical European events, such as the plate with the portrait of King Edward VII, as mentioned in An Architectural Celebration of Brandeis University's 50th Anniversary.
Throughout the building, Smith included subtle hints of himself or his interests in order to ensure he would be remembered through the Castle.
One of the plates is dedicated to his native land of Canada, and one more specifically to his childhood home of Nova Scotia. In one of the Castle courtyard's mosiac tiles he included an inlaid color cement portrait of himself, in which he sports a distinguished goatee and his graduation cap and gown.
Still, the castle is often the subject of legends and myths.
"Supposedly, the Castle is haunted by the souls of 1,000 dead virgins. … They obviously didn't enjoy college," said Amanda Gilbert '11, who lives in the castle.
-Rebecca Klein contributed reporting.
Be the first to comment on this story