Harward University, Boston, MA

Harvard Yard is a grassy area of about twenty-five acres (0.1 km²), adjacent to Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that constitutes the oldest part and the center of the campus of Harvard University. Geographically the yard area is bordered to the west by Massachusetts Avenue and Peabody Street, the north by Cambridge Street, the northeast by Broadway, the east by Quincy Street, and the south by Harvard Street and Massachusetts Avenue. It contains thirteen of Harvard College's seventeen freshman dormitories, as well as four libraries, five buildings of classrooms and academic departments, and the central administrative offices of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the university, located in University Hall and Massachusetts Hall, respectively.

The western third of Harvard Yard, which opens onto Massachusetts Avenue at Johnston Gate, is known as the Old Yard, and around it cluster most of the freshman dormitories. Among these is Massachusetts Hall, which, having been constructed in 1720, is the oldest still-standing building on Harvard's campus and one of the two oldest academic buildings in the United States. The lower floors of Massachusetts Hall house the offices of the President of Harvard University.

Also located in the Old Yard is the statue of the university's first benefactor, John Harvard. This monument is a frequent target of pranks, hacks, and humorous decorations, such as the colorful lei shown at right, below. Moreover, Harvard students urinate on the very foot that tourists rub for good luck. Facing Massachusetts Hall is Harvard Hall. The original Harvard Hall on this site housed the College library, including the books donated by John Harvard, after whom the college and the building were named—all but one of which were destroyed when the building burned in 1764. Rebuilt in 1766, Harvard Hall now houses classrooms.

Across the Old Yard from Johnston Gate stands University Hall, and the now-famous statue of John Harvard by Daniel Chester French. The statue has earned the nickname "the statue of three lies" from its inscription, "John Harvard, Founder, 1638". In truth, the statue is not modeled after John Harvard, Mr. Harvard did not found the university, and the founding was in 1636. University Hall was the site of the now-famous sit-in and teach-in protests during the late 1960s, while Massachusetts Hall was the site of the more recent 2001 living-wage campaign sit-in.

Widener Library

The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, commonly known as Widener Library, is the primary building of the library system of Harvard University. Located on the south side of Harvard Yard directly across from Memorial Church, Widener serves as the centerpiece of the 15.6 million-volume Harvard University Librarysystem, the largest university library system in the world. The 320,000-square-foot (30,000 m²) Beaux-Arts brick building houses 57 miles (92 km) of bookshelves and 3 million volumes. Among them is one of the few remaining perfect copies of the Gutenberg Bible. 

Memorial Church

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