Editorial: Saving 86 Olden St.

Built in 1892, the facility at 86 Olden St. initially served as the Osborn Clubhouse. Providing training and equipment facilities for home and visiting athletic teams, the clubhouse was the home of Princeton football in its heyday. In 1971, the clubhouse was converted into the Third World Center, later renamed the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Understanding. The Third World Center supported academic and cultural programs aimed at increasing awareness and acceptance of minorities as Princeton began to admit black and Hispanic students in greater numbers. Over the years, it provided support for many of Princeton’s most passionate advocates for equality, including Sonia Sotomayor ’76 and Michelle Obama ’85.

Because of the building’s history and its inherent architectural value, the University should preserve and incorporate it into any future plans for construction. Still located across the street from the new site of the Fields Center, the building serves as a reminder of past efforts to support equality within the University. In terms of the integration of intercollegiate athletics and the pursuit of racial justice on Princeton’s campus, 86 Olden St. has served as an important center for change and progress. And as one of only 20 buildings on campus dating from before 1900, it also serves as a key landmark of Princeton’s past. The building is a beautiful example of 19th-century architecture that should not be lost. Destruction of the building would result in a historical and cultural loss uncharacteristic of the University’s recent trends. Indeed, not since 1965 has Princeton razed a 19th-century building.

Beyond these considerations of the building’s value, the University must also consider the environmental impact of demolishing the former Fields Center. Preserving old structures is often more cost-effective than constructing an entirely new facility, and renovations are almost always more energy efficient than demolitions. The University should continue the trend established in its renovation of Campus Club and the former Elm Club, which now houses the Fields Center, and incorporate — rather than demolish — the existing structure at 86 Olden St. into the University’s long-term campus plan. This approach would preserve the site’s historical value and be consistent with the environmental goals of the Andlinger Center.

In light of the above concerns, several architects and academics with connections to the University, notably Robert Venturi ’47 and Barksdale Maynard ’88, have expressed opposition to the proposed demolition. Given the University’s established commitment to architectural history and to preserving its past, the Board of Trustees should heed these concerns and preserve the current structure at 86 Olden St.