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Dudley Hall [Demolished]
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Dudley Hall [Demolished]

Address16, Dunster Street, Cambridge, MA, United States of America, 02138
Site Number1521
Alternate Names Dunster Hall,
Building Root Number N/A
PIRC Site Number 1521
Previous Building Number 11
Historic CAPS Identifier L381.1
Architect (Original) Little, Brown and Moore
Constructed 1897
Building Acquired 1918
Land Acquired 1918
Demolished 1964
StatusInactive
Materials for this building in our collection are not fully processed at this time.
Site Name HistoryThe site is named after Governor Thomas Dudley, one of the founders of Cambridge.Historical NotesOriginally known as Dunster Hall, a private dormitory, it was purchased by Harvard in 1918 and used as a dormitory and by 1935 it was also being used as a social center for commuting students with a cafeteria, common room, library, radio room, recreational equipment and locker rooms. In 1930 the name of the building was changed from Dunster Hall to Dudley Hall.

In 1957, a radio tower was erected on Dudley Hall and WHRB began testing the FM broadcasting frequency. The Harvard Crimson reported that the tower represented "one final last gasp of the dying radio industry". Dudley Hall, located at 16 Dunster Street, was demolished to make way for the construction of Holyoke Center later renamed the Smith Campus Center.Additional Information
“House Profiles.” The Harvard Crimson [Cambridge, MA], 20 Mar. 1963, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1963/3/20/house-profiles-pbia-foreword-to-freshmenib.
Hale, Herbert D. "Recent Buildings at Harvard University." The Architectural Review, June 1901, p.65-70.
Dudley Hall. General Information by and about Dudley Hall. Harvard University Archives call number HUB 1340.2.
“Little’s and Dunster Have Been Purchased by Harvard College.” Cambridge Tribune, 7 Dec. 1918, p. 1.