Harkness Tower, Gothic tower at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
Harkness Tower is a Gothic structure at Yale University that rises 216 feet from a square base to a double stone crown. Four large copper clock faces are integrated into the tower and display time for the entire university.
Anna M. Harkness funded the tower's construction between 1917 and 1921 as a memorial to her son Charles William Harkness, who graduated from Yale in 1883. The building rose during a period of significant architectural development on the university campus.
The tower houses a 54-bell carillon played by the Yale Guild of Carillonneurs throughout the academic year. The bells ring regularly across campus and shape the sonic character of university life.
Visitors can climb 284 steps through nine stories to reach the summit and enjoy expansive views across campus. The ascent requires physical effort and is not suitable for people with mobility limitations.
The tower's height of 216 feet holds special meaning: it corresponds to the number of years between Yale's founding in 1701 and the structure's completion in 1921. This deliberate numerical symbolism is a hidden detail many visitors overlook.
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