President's Palace

Along with the title of President of the University goes a panelled office in Massachusetts Hall and a brass key to a residence at 17 Quincy Street. In this house, behind a tall iron fence, Harvard's last two Presidents have been at home.

The huge President's house was built and donated to the University by President Lowell. In keeping with his dynamic personality, Lowell constructed his palace on a grand scale, with a tremendous ballroom and a spacious living room to accommodate friends. Even the water-faucets are over-sized--the handles are a foot long.

Although the house is spacious and cheerful, it is a woman's nightmare. Vast amounts of space are wasted; the stair-case landings are as large as the living room. Many of the glass, pantry cabinets are inconveniently located above doorways, seven feet above the floor.

But the house is a man's delight. The President can steal away from a party without walking up the dramatic carved stairway, for there is a secret staircase going up through a wall and leading to the second floor den.

When the war came, the Conants generously allowed the Navy to administrate its V-12 school from the house. The Colonial-style home was immediately transformed into a "ship." A twenty-four hour watch was stood, and classes for midshipmen were held over the same mahogany table where the Overseers dined in years past. Mis-behaving scamen were assigned to scrub the "deck" and polish the "brightwork"--in this case, oak floors and gold mirrors. Consequently, when the admiral moved out, the ship was little worse for the wear and tear. The Conants were astonished to discover that even the bottles in the wine-cellar were undisturbed. Somehow, through four years of Navy discipline and inspection, no one discovered the little cabinet where the Conants, stored their spirits.

Although the house is only forty years old, it has not completely succumbed to modern science. No TV set has challenged the sanctity of the living room, and a leaky steam-valve in the basement has defied the efforts of Buildings and Grounds plumbers. Today a bucket hangs from the valve to catch the dripping.