Now that spring is finally here I can resume one of my favorite activities: exploring Princeton on foot. Those of us who live or work in Princeton know that this is one of the most walkable towns in the state. If you are looking for walking tour ideas, the library offers books on in-town walks and trail hikes.
In search of some additional recommendations, I browsed the shelves of our incredible Princeton Room, where our Local History collection is located. Among the volumes covering the history of Princeton University, I found a collection of very small books published by the university’s Office of Communications. Each one explores a specific topic, building, or feature of the campus, and most of them include maps and enough information to devise your own tour.
After skimming each book, I decided to check out “The Gargoyles of Princeton University.” The book features 14 of the hundreds of carved decorations on many of the buildings on campus. Note that the title is a bit of misnomer, as gargoyles function as waterspouts to guide rain away from the sides of a building, while grotesques are simply decorative carved figures. All 14 of the figures in this book are grotesques. My snapshots from the highlights of my tour are below. If you want to see the entire book, Princeton University has posted it here.
I began the walk at Firestone Library. According to the book, the flute player pictured was supposed to be based on a 13th century book publisher, but it actually modeled on one of the architects of the library.
One of the many monkeys on the nearby 1879 Hall is this one with a camera. Why a monkey? The author speculates that monkeys represent the rambunctiousness of undergraduates and that the camera may be symbolic of technology they do not understand. But this is just one interpretation; this monkey may just be a bit of an architectural joke.
The next stop at the Dillon Gymnasium features another simian: this time, a literate ape. This is one of four figures that project over the gym’s main doors. This ape, befitting its academic setting, is holding a book and wearing robes. Other nearby figures include a tiger, a football player, and a professor. Once again, we are left to speculate on why apes and monkeys are so often featured on more than one building on campus.
On the famous Blair Arch, we have a true grotesque: this goblin holding what appears to be a shell. He may be listening to the sounds of the ocean through the shell, but we can only guess. Blair Arch also features depictions of students huddled under piles of books, falling asleep at their desks, and drinking beer from steins.
All of the featured grotesques in the book are fairly close together, except for this one. This depiction of a joy ride at the Graduate College is, according to the author, Princeton’s most famous grotesque. It depicts a Roaring Twenties couple driving recklessly while smoking and narrowly avoiding a goose in the road. Unfortunately this carving is small, heavily weathered, and a bit difficult to view. I recommend keeping your tour to Princeton’s main campus unless you really want to see all of the gargoyles and grotesques.
If grotesques are not your thing, the series of books includes titles devoted to sculptures, tigers (carved), and trees on campus. I invite you to check out these books and enjoy a beautiful walk in Princeton.
All photos by the author