New Quad Vintage CAD
Even for a campus of many names, the buildings that now comprise Wilson and Butler Colleges have changed identity often since they were built in the early and mid-1960s.
Princeton University. Property of the Trustees of Princeton University.
In the beginning, there was New Quad: the group of dormitories encompassing Gauss, Dodge-Osborn,1937, 1938, and 1939, all centered around the dining and social facilities of Wilcox Hall.
At first it was called Wilson Lodge, and this complex was an immediate hit with undergraduates, many of whom had been clamoring for alternatives to the eating clubs. In 1967, Wilson Lodge was rechristened Wilson College, in which form it continues today.
The six original New Quad buildings were designed by the firm of Sherwood, Mills and Smith, with Lester Smith '30 taking the lead. Built of the same materials -- pale Shenco brick with limestone trim -- these structures were erected simultaneously, with ground being broken in August 1959. Most of the buildings were ready for occupancy by September 1960.
Reflecting the other pressing demands on the University's resources, Smith's designs emphasized functionality rather than style, although he did make several overt gestures to the "old" campus.