A Historical Tour of Princeton Theological Seminary
By Michael J. Paulus, Jr.
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3. The Expansion of the Seminary in the Nineteenth Century
As the Seminary continued to grow, its activities quickly expanded beyond the spaces
that had been provided for them in Alexander Hall. The first needs for additional space
were directly related to the twin goals of the Seminary: piety and learning. By 1830, more
space was needed for worship and for books and study. The Seminary began seeking funds first
for a chapel, and in 1834
Miller Chapel, situated between Alexander House and Alexander Hall,
was completed. (The Chapel was moved to its current position in 1933, at which time a chancel
and basement were added.)
Lenox Library
In 1843 James Lenox, a philanthropist and bibliophile from New York City, built for the Seminary
one of the first free-standing academic library buildings in America, Lenox Library. Alexander
described it as “a beautiful Gothic building, 80 feet by 50, of brown stone … The floors are of
marble. The roof is slated. The whole, except the vestibule, is in one room, with a gallery. There
are alcoves on two sides of the room.”
Administration Building
Another building was added to the Seminary campus in 1847. Located behind Alexander Hall, this
building contained a kitchen, dining room, quarters for the cook, and a hospital room. The building
was used later as a dormitory, then as a gymnasium, and in 1945 it was converted into office space
and became the Administration Building.
By 1860, the Seminary had run out of boarding options for its students. Isabella Brown, a wealthy widow from
Baltimore, had agreed to build a second dormitory. But when the Civil War broke out, Mrs. Brown, whose sympathies
were with the South, declined to go forward with the plan. During the war a confederate soldier, who had been
captured and released on the condition that he not take up arms again, came to the Seminary to study for the
ministry. He was admitted and later graduated from the Seminary. When Mrs. Brown heard about how this man had
been treated, she gave the money for
Brown Hall. Construction began during the war and was completed in 1865.
Stuart Hall
Although development of many larger theological seminaries was disrupted by the Civil War, Princeton Seminary
continued to grow. More room was needed for classes, and in 1878 Stuart Hall opened to function as the Seminary’s
primary lecture hall. The building bears the name of the brothers Robert and Alexander Stuart, candy tycoons who
donated funds for the building.
New Lenox Library
By this time more room was needed for books, and in 1879 the New Lenox Library, also built by James Lenox,
opened behind the Lenox Library. This high Victorian brick building provided more space for study; the older
library was used for rare and less frequently used books.
In time, additional housing facilities were needed. In 1893, with funds from a bequest of the widow of Robert
Stuart, Hodge Hall was built as a
third dormitory for the Seminary. The building was designed so that each room would receive sunlight at some
point during the day.