Hamill House, shown here circa 1895, was built in 1814.
For those researching histories of the houses, the primary resource is The House System at the Lawrenceville School, a manuscript first written by A. R. Evans in 1963 and updated by Virginia Chambers in 1990.
The manuscript explains the origin of the house system at Lawrenceville, the details about how each house came to be built, and for whom it was named. There are also numerous lists of such things as the names of the house presidents and house masters over the decades and the number of school presidents to come from a given house. The archives has a copy of this manuscript available for research.
Each house also has records stored in the Archives, although most of these records are slim and relate to such things as physical renovations of the houses. In addition to the documents, there are photographs of both the houses themselves and their members over the years, as well as architectural drawings.
BRIEF HISTORY OF HOUSES CURRENTLY IN USE
| HOUSE | FORM/ GROUPING |
DATE BUILT | NAMED AFTER | OTHER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haskell (boys) | Fifth Form | 1832 or earlier | Fred K. Haskell, L. 1901 | First classroom building. Also served as a gymnasium, Society Hall, science building and music building. Converted to housing in 1955. |
| Kinnan (boys) | Fifth Form | 1913 | Alexander P.W. Kinnan, L. 1873 | Originally built as the Society Building, converted to housing in 1930. |
| Upper East & West (boys) | Fifth Form | 1892 | Rev. Caleb Smith, grandfather of John Cleve Green | Originally known as Caleb Smith Hall, but common usage of “Upper” has prevailed. |
| McPherson (girls) | Fifth Form | 1929 | Simon John McPherson, Head Master, 1899-1919 | Originally served as an infirmary. |
| Reynolds (girls) | Fifth Form | 1988 | David P. Reynolds, L. 1934 | |
| Cleve | Circle Houses (boys) | 1885 | Middle name of John Cleve Green | Enlarged in 1896. |
| Dickinson | Circle Houses (boys) | 1885 | Maiden name of Martha Dickinson, daughter of Jonathan Dickinson, first president of Princeton College and great-grandmother of John C. Green | Enlarged in 1895. |
| Griswold | Circle Houses (boys) | 1885 | Maiden name of Sarah Helen Griswold, wife of John C. Green | Enlarged in 1895. |
| Hamill | Circle Houses (boys) | 1814 | Samuel McClintock Hamill, Head Master from 1837 to 1883, and his brother Hugh Hamill | The earliest part of the building was built by Rev. Dr. Isaac Van Arsdale Brown, founder of the school. |
| Kennedy | Circle Houses (boys) | 1889 | Robert L. Kennedy, friend of John C. Green and one of the executors of his estate. | Enlarged in 1895. |
| Woodhull | Circle Houses (boys) | 1885, 1892 | Middle name of Henry Woodhull Green, brother of John C. Green | Destroyed by fire in 1892, rebuilt same year. |
| Carter | Crescent Houses (girls) | 2010 | Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Carter ’70 P’01 ‘05 | 2nd LEED-certified campus building, built by V.J. Scozzari and Sons. |
| Kirby | Crescent Houses (girls) | 1987 | Kirby Family | Originally unnamed and housed Perry Ross and Cromwell girls. From 1989-1990, called Alumni House. |
| McClellan | Crescent Houses (girls) | 1987 | Bruce and Mary Elizabeth McClellan, Head Master and wife, 1959-1986 | Gift of trustee Bert A. Getz, L. 1955. |
| Stanley | Crescent Houses (girls) | 1987 | Stanley Family | Gift of trustee Edmund A. Stanley, L. 1943, and his brother, Thomas Stanley, L. 1945. |
| Stephens | Crescent Houses (girls) | 1987 | Wade C. Stephens Family | Gift of trustee Artemis A. W. Joukowsky, L. 1950. |
| Davidson (boys) | Lower School Houses | 1930 | Philip J. Davidson, L. 1911, died August 1918 while in service for WWI | All four houses were originally in the old Lower School, built in 1924 and officially named the Alumni War Memorial Building. In 1972, Davidson and Thomas moved to Raymond-Davis House, built in 1930 and named for long-time faculty member Charles Henry Raymond. Cromwell and Perry Ross moved to Dawes House, built in 1929 and named for Rufus Fearing Dawes, L. 1909. |
| Thomas (boys) | Lower School Houses | 1930 | Gerald P. Thomas, L. 1915, died Aug. 28, 1918 while in service for WWI | |
| Cromwell (girls) | Lower School Houses | 1929 | James H. R. Cromwell, L. 1915 | |
| Perry Ross (girls) | Lower School Houses | 1929 | Perry Ross Rosenheim, L. 1914, died April 18, 1919, while in service. |
The Lawrenceville School Stephan Archives 