Usen Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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The Castle
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 415 South St., Waltham, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1928 |
| Architect | Smith, John H. |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000359 |
| Added to NRHP | April 09, 1979 |
The Castle, also known as Usen Castle, is a cool old building in Waltham, Massachusetts. It looks like a real castle from the Middle Ages! This special building was built in 1928 and is on the campus of Brandeis University. Today, it's a place where students live. The Castle is very unique and doesn't look like any other building around. Because it's so special, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Contents
What Makes The Castle Special?
Usen Castle sits on top of Boston Rock, which is one of the highest spots at Brandeis University. It's made up of six parts that are all connected, forming a cool enclosed courtyard in the middle.
Castle Style and Features
The outside of The Castle looks like a Norman castle from Ireland. It has lots of interesting parts like turrets (small towers), tall towers, crenellations (the notched tops of castle walls), and pinnacles (pointy decorations).
Building Materials
The people who built The Castle used some unusual materials. They used colored concrete and even ceramic pieces to decorate it. Inside, it still has a medieval, or Gothic, feel. This makes living there a very different experience for students compared to other dorms.
The Castle's History
The Castle was built in 1928 by a person named Dr. John Hall Smith. He started a school called Middlesex College of Medicine and Surgery. The Castle was part of that school's campus.
From Middlesex to Brandeis
Middlesex College closed in 1945. After that, the people who started Brandeis University bought the campus and the school's official papers. At first, The Castle was used for offices, a dorm, and a dining hall. But in the 1950s, it became only a place for students to live.
A Unique Building on Campus
The Castle is one of only two buildings left on the Brandeis campus from the old Middlesex College days. It looks very different from all the modern buildings around it, making it stand out.
Recent Changes to The Castle
In the summer of 2017, some parts of The Castle were found to be unsafe. Because of this, the university had to take down parts of the building called Castle Towers C, D, and E, and Schwartz Castle. A new student dorm called Skyline was built in their place. However, Castle Towers A and B are still standing and are still used as student homes today.
