Skip to main content
Menu
Access to material may be restricted.
View All Records View On Map
Hilles Library
Access to material may be restricted.
Access to material may be restricted.

Hilles Library

Address59, Shepard Street, Cambridge, MA, United States of America, 02138
Site Number549
Historic CAPS Identifier HA.549.1
Building Root Number 04930
Architect (Original)
Land Acquired 1913-1939
Building Acquired 1966
Constructed 1966
Dedicated 1967
StatusActive
Site Name HistoryThe site is named after Susan Morse Hilles, Radcliffe College trustee and benefactor, and Frederick W. Hilles, her husband, a Yale professor.Historical NotesThe Student Organization Center at Hilles was designed by the New York firm of Harrison and Abramovitz and opened in 1966 as Radcliffe College's Hilles Library.

The project was funded by an anonymous gift, purportedly from Susan Morse Hilles, for whom the library is named.

Hilles Library closed in May 2005 because it was no longer needed as a research library, and much of its resources existed in other campus libraries. However, a smaller Quad Library remained and was renovated by Einhorn Yaffee Prescott (EYP) of Boston.

In 2006, Hilles was redesigned (upper levels) by Kennedy & Violich Architecture of Boston to accommodate Student Organization Center at Hilles (SOCH). Although the renovation was meant to house over 100 Harvard student groups, as of 2020, the building is not heavily used.

Hilles Library is a notable work of mid-century Modern architecture.

Additional Information
Chiu, Jessica C. "Pfoho Fights To Preserve Hilles." The Harvard Crimson, 5 May 2005, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2005/5/5/pfoho-fights-to-preserve-hilles-in/.
"’Cliffe Fights City on Library Plan; Parking Threatens Quad, 4th House." The Harvard Crimson, 10 Feb. 1966, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1966/2/10/cliffe-fights-city-on-library-plan/.
"Barely a Library." The Harvard Crimson, 11 May 2005, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2005/5/11/barely-a-library-hilles-library-the/.
Blenkinsopp, Alexander J. "Quadlings Discuss Future of Hilles." The Harvard Crimson, 5 Nov. 2003, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2003/11/5/quadlings-discuss-future-of-hilles-almost/.
Boorstin, Jonathan. "Hilles Library." The Harvard Crimson, 11 Oct. 1966, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1966/10/11/hilles-library-philles-is-the-first/.
Wang, Ying. "Revised Hilles Plans Revealed." The Harvard Crimson, 13 Jan. 2006, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2006/1/13/revised-hilles-plans-revealed-students-got/.
Wissler, Mary L. "New Radcliffe Study Center Will Increase Shelf Space, Provide More Meeting Places, Shorten Cliffies’ Rounds." The Harvard Crimson, 19 May 1964, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1964/5/19/new-radcliffe-study-center-will-increase/.
"Radcliffe Is on the Move." Cambridge Chronicle, 5 Oct. 1967, p. 24.
"Radcliffe SGA Discusses Enlargement of Library." The Harvard Crimson, 16 Nov. 1960, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1960/11/16/radcliffe-sga-discusses-enlargement-of-library/.
Rogers, Joshua P. "Committee Weighs Options for Hilles Space." The Harvard Crimson, 3 Mar. 2004, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2004/3/3/committee-weighs-options-for-hilles-space/.
Wang, Ying. "College Alters Hilles Space Plans." The Harvard Crimson, 19 Dec. 2005, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2005/12/19/college-alters-hilles-space-plans-in/.
"Radcliffe Has Dedication of Its New Hilles Library." Cambridge Chronicle, 9 Feb. 1967, p. 15.
Meier, Mary. "At Radcliffe:　A $4.5 Million Library." Boston Globe, 19 Nov. 1964, p. 9.
"Radcliffe Breaks Ground for New Library Center." Cambridge Chronicle, 19 Nov. 1964, p. 10.
Kim, Victoria. "UC Issues Report on Hilles Space." The Harvard Crimson, 12 Dec. 2005, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2005/12/12/uc-issues-report-on-hilles-space/.
Lange, Alexandra. "Review of The Troubled Search: The Work of Max Abramovitz." Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, vol. 64, no. 4, 2005, pp. 554–56.
"Library, New House Named by Radcliffe." Cambridge Chronicle, 17 June 1965, p. 7.
Abramovitz, Max. "The Susan Morse and Frederick Whiley Hilles Library at Radcliffe College." Harvard University. Harvard Library Bulletin. vol. 17, no. 4 (October 1969), pp. 404-409. https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:427334791$68i
Records of the Harvard College Library : Feasibility Report on Use of Hilles Library Building Prepared by Hilles, FAS, and Einhorn, Yaffee, Prescott Architecture and Engineering, PC, September 2001. Harvard University Archives accession 17341.
Radcliffe College Library and Hilles Library Annual Reports, 1949-2003. Harvard University Archives accession 17036.
General Information by and about Hilles Library. Harvard University Archives call number HUB 1450.20.7.
Records of Hilles Library: Executive Correspondence of Heather E. Cole, Librarian of Hilles and Lamont Libraries, 1977-2005. Harvard University Archives accession 17038.
Negri, Gloria. "Radcliffe Hears Plea of Nuclear Police Force." Boston Globe, 17 Jun 1965, p. 15.
Records of Hilles Library: Exhibition Files, 1967-2003. Harvard University Archives accession 17021.
Records of Hilles Library: Executive Correspondence, 1951-1987. Harvard University Archives accession 17020.
The Hilles Library. Cambridge, Mass., 1967. Loeb Design Library call number NA 6612 R and Harvard University Archives call number HUF 523.167.38.
Records of Hilles Library. Harvard University Archives accession 17068.
Boston Society of Architects. Architecture Boston. Barre Publishing, 1976.
Records of the President of Radcliffe College, 1960-1972. Schlesinger Library call number RG II, Series 4 Electronic finding aid available http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:RAD.SCHL:sch00394.
Driscoll Jr., Edgar J. "13 Women Artists Featured at Hilles Library Dedication." Boston Globe, 8 Feb 1967, p.20.
Records of Radcliffe College Library, 1895-1955. Schlesinger Library call number RA.A/L697.
Papers of Susan Morse Hilles, 1839-2002. Schlesinger Library call number MC 463; T-280 http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:RAD.SCHL:sch00041.
Radcliffe College Architectural Drawings, 1885-2006. Schlesinger Library call number RG XXXIII http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:RAD.SCHL:sch01144.
Records of the Harvard College Library : Hilles Library Furniture Specifications, 1966. Harvard University Archives accession 17247.
Technical Information on the Susan Morse and Frederick Whiley Hilles Library. Cambridge, Mass., 1967. Harvard University Archives call number HUB 1450.20.367.2.
Radcliffe Plans a Library. Cambridge, Mass., 1964. Harvard University Archives call number HUB 1450.20.364.
Records of the Harvard College Library : Photographs of Furniture in Hilles Library, 1964-1967. Harvard University Archives accession 17308.
Records of the Harvard College Library : Hilles Library Architectural Drawings, 1964-1967 Hilles Library Architectural Drawings, 1964-1967. Harvard University Archives accession 17309.
Einhorn, Yaffee, Prescott Architecture and Engineering. Records of the Harvard College Library : Architectural drawings for Hilles Renovation, 2001. Harvard University Archives accession 17342.
Driscoll Jr., Edgar J. "Lincoln Rights Leader Honored." Boston Globe, 10 Jun 1966, p. 21.
Radcliffe College Architectural Drawings, 1885-2006. (1885). Schlesinger Library call number RGXXXIII
Douglas, Mary. "The 1966 Library Study Center." The Radcliffe Quarterly. vol. 49, no. 1, 1965, p. 6-7. https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:427992431$14i
"From Quadrangle to College: Radcliffe Council Approves Plans for the Library Center." Radcliffe: News from the College. 1963. https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:428011386$12i
“Library Study Center Rises at Harvard.” Architectural Record, vol. 138, no. 2, 1965, p. 260, usmodernist.org/AR/AR-1965-08.pdf.
Levey, Robert. "The $5.1 Million Hilles Library Where Harvard and Radcliffe Meet." Boston Globe, 5 February 1967, p. 1.
“Bright New Use, and New Form, for the Monitor Skylight.” Architectural Record, vol. 141, no. 5, Jan. 1967, pp. 151-158. usmodernist.org/AR/AR-1967-05.pdf.
Rogers, Joshua P. "Committee Outlines Hilles Conversion." The Havard Crimson. September 13, 2004. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2004/9/13/committee-outlines-hilles-conversion-an-august/
O'Brien, Rebecca D. "Hilles to be Converted to Activities Space." The Harvard Crimson. September 12, 2003. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2003/9/12/hilles-to-be-converted-to-activities/
O'Brien, Rebecca D. "Hilles to be Converted." The Harvard Crimson. September 15, 2003. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2003/9/15/hilles-to-be-converted-university-hall/
Radcliffe College. Report of the President. 1965-1967. New Buildings on the Residence Quadrangle. pp. 5-8. https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:2573641$259i
Wissler, Mary L. "New Radcliffe Study Center Will Increase Shelf Space, Provide More Meeting Places, Shorten Cliffies' Rounds." The Harvard Crimson. May 19, 1964. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1964/5/19/new-radcliffe-study-center-will-increase/
Kline, Marcia B. "New Library is a Delight for Cliffies." The Harvard Crimson. June 28, 1966. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1966/6/28/new-library-is-a-delight-for/
Kline, Marcia B. "'Cliffe Dedicates Hilles Study Center." The Harvard Crimson. February 9, 1967. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1967/2/9/cliffe-dedicates-hilles-study-center-pradcliffe/
This building has been designated by the University Planning Office as having a Notable Interior.
Related Projects