Arts Quadrangle, Ithaca

The Arts Quadrangle represents some of the oldest surviving buildings on the campus. Designated in 1990, the district includes ten buildings, two statues, and one memorial. Its history dates back to the university's founding in 1865, with Morrill Hall, constructed in 1866, being the first building.

Morrill Hall, along with McGraw and White Halls, forms "Stone Row," a trio of early structures built from native gray siltstone. These buildings, designed by architects Wilcox and Porter and Archimedes Russell, reflect Ezra Cornell's practical, straightforward tastes and embody the Italian Renaissance style with a sturdy and solid appearance.

The architectural evolution of the Arts Quadrangle mirrors the growth of Cornell's architecture program. Early buildings were designed by external architects, but by 1871, Cornell's newly established architecture school began shaping the campus. Professor Charles Babcock's Romanesque Revival-style designs, such as Franklin (now Tjaden) and Lincoln Halls, and William H. Miller's Uris Library (1891), showcase the university's emerging architectural identity.

Later contributions, like Stimson Hall and the Sibley Dome by Arthur N. Gibb, reveal shifts toward simpler, classically inspired forms. The Neoclassical style of Goldwin Smith Hall (1904) and the Sheldon Memorial Exedra and Sundial (1910), designed by Carrère and Hastings, highlight the influence of nationally prominent architects during the early 20th century.

Statues of founder Ezra Cornell and first president Andrew D. White anchor the area, symbolizing its historical and cultural importance.