The Andrew Dickson White House, commonly referred to as the "A.D. White House," is a

High Victorian Gothic High Victorian Gothic was an eclectic architectural style and movement during the mid-late 19th century. It is seen by architectural historians as either a sub-style of the broader Gothic Revival style, or a separate style in its own right. Promo ...

house on the campus of

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

, designed by William Henry Miller and Charles Babcock. It houses the Cornell University Society for the Humanities. The house was commissioned in 1871 by

Andrew Dickson White Andrew Dickson White (November 7, 1832 – November 4, 1918) was an American historian and educator who cofounded Cornell University and served as its first president for nearly two decades. He was known for expanding the scope of college curricu ...

, co-founder and first president of the university. The house is richly decorated with stone carvings according to White's tastes, intended to remind students of men's accomplishments and inspire them to higher purpose and an appreciation of beauty. White left the house to the university for the perpetual use of its later presidents. Presidents still use the study on the southeast side of the building as a private office/retreat. In 1953, the house was renovated for use as the University Art Museum, and its carriage house converted into what is now the Big Red Barn, a graduate student lounge. It served in this role until 1973, and was considered for demolition. Henry Guerlac, Director of the university's Society for the Humanities, led the cause to prevent its destruction and have it placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1973. The house library is now called the Guerlac Room in his honor. Since the construction of a new Johnson museum, the house has been used for offices of the Humanities Society.

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* Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) William Henry Miller buildings Andrew Dickson White University and college dormitories in the United States Cornell University buildings Houses completed in 1871 Houses in Tompkins County, New York University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Tompkins County, New York 1871 establishments in New York (state) {{TompkinsCountyNY-NRHP-stub