John Knowles Paine Concert Hall
History
John Knowles Paine Concert Hall, located on the second floor of the Fanny Peabody Mason Music Building at Harvard, was completed in 1914 and named for Harvard’s first Professor of Music. Paine Hall’s design was realized with the professional expertise of acoustician Wallace C. Sabine, who was known for his contribution to the construction of Symphony Hall in 1900. The building has been expanded three times in response to the department’s growing student body and increased musical activities. Today, the building houses the music department’s courses, rehearsals, lectures, meetings, and concerts.
Technical Specifications
Paine Hall seats approximately 400 guests and is wheelchair accessible by ramp and elevator to the second floor. A wheelchair lift provides access to the Paine Hall stage. An accessible bathroom is available on the main floor of the building.
Holden Chapel
History
Holden Chapel, noted for its exemplary Georgian design and early Colonial architecture, was built in 1744 at the behest of Thomas Hutchinson, Harvard College 1727, and later Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. This was made possible due to a donation from Mrs. Samuel Holden and her daughters. In tribute, their coat of arms can be seen over the entrance to the building. The building is one of the oldest buildings at Harvard, and one of the oldest college structures in the nation.
In its 280-year history, the building has functioned as a church, court, barracks during the Revolutionary War, first home of the Harvard Medical School, music department, lecture hall, event space, and even the college carpentry shop.
Despite its modern interior appearance, Holden Chapel stands as a historical marker of the foundational origins of Harvard University and the early colonial days of the United States.
