{"nrhp_refnum":"66000659","name":"Old West, Dickinson College","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Dickinson College campus","address_restricted":false,"city":"Carlisle","county":"Cumberland County","state":"PA","lat":40.20277302950004,"lon":-77.19503778501941,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1966-10-15","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1962-06-13","areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Old West is a three-story limestone college building in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, U-shaped in plan, that was the original building of Dickinson College.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is important as the work of Benjamin Henry Latrobe, one of America's first professional architects, and for its Federal style with Adamesque overtones. Its arched surrounds and two-story fanlighted entrance depart from earlier brick colonial college buildings. The chapel, now Memorial Hall, is described as one of the most delicately elaborate and beautiful rooms of the Federal period.","narrative":"Old West is a three-story limestone college building in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe and built between 1804 and 1822 as the original building of Dickinson College. Latrobe, one of America's first professional architects, drew the plans in 1803 at the request of Hugh Brackenridge, who was assigned to the project by the trustees. The building has a central pedimented projection on the south side with a two-story arched fanlighted entrance, and red sandstone trim provides its only external ornament. Its cupola follows a design by Latrobe that recalls the Pantheon's dome. Departing from earlier brick colonial college buildings, the design introduces Federal style with Adamesque overtones. The former chapel, now Memorial Hall, has fluted Ionic pilasters, a plaster frieze, and an oval ceiling. Originally housing all college functions, the building now holds the college's administrative offices.","period_of_significance":"1804-22","architect_builder":"Benjamin Henry Latrobe (architect)","architectural_style":"Federal style with Adamesque overtones","criteria":[],"status_note":"Still serves the college; now houses the college's administrative offices.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:30.112974-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/66000659_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/66000659/f7be3bc8f6-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/66000659/f7be3bc8f6-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":null,"credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Westcollege1810.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown author</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Westcollege1810.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71994159","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_West,_Dickinson_College","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7085402"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/cumberland-county/old-west-dickinson-college-66000659/"}