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Walker Art Museum Building - Bowdoin College Quad, Brunswick (1892-94) Year listed: 2004
Saved! Facing the Quad at the center of the Bowdoin College campus in Brunswick, the Walker Art Museum Building was a gift honoring T.W. Walker from his two nieces to create a great building to house the first and perhaps the finest college art collection in America. The nieces chose the nation's leading architectural firm of the time, McKim, Mead and White, who designed the museum in the Renaissance Revival style. Built between 1892 and 1894, this domed structure is set on a broad podium approached by a grand flight of stairs up to an elegant triumphal arch entryway looking out on the campus quad. Located within the Federal Street National Register Historic District, the Walker Art Museum Building is a contributing structure within this nationally significant district, the second highest designation afforded to properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places (only National Landmarks are rated higher). The College's continuous stewardship of this fine building to house their remarkable teaching collection has always deserved support, as does the current program to address new needs for climate control, accessibility and change in the galleries. The revised architectural design ultimately chosen by the college from among other alternatives to address these problems preserves the architectural character and historical integrity of the building. A glass structure located to the side of the building's grand facade will provide stair and elevator access to a new entry court located beneath the current entrance. A new glass addition to the rear of the building addresses the need for more gallery space. A previous design proposed to remove all of the grand staircase leading to the dome's rotunda and replacing it with a wide shallow balcony over a new ground-level entrance. Construction began in Summer 2005 and is expected to be completed in 2007. For more information on the Walker Art Museum Building, visit www.academic.bowdoin.edu/artmuseum/index.shtml .
Learn about Maine's Most Endangered Historic Properties success stories! 2004 Endangered List | 1999 Endangered List 2003 Endangered List | 1998 Endangered List 2002 Endangered List | 1997 Endangered List 2001 Endangered List | 1996 Endangered List |
