The Continental - Hamilton College

societyOn a recent sunny spring afternoon, I had the opportunity to meetwith Hamilton’s President Joan Hinde Stewart at her home at 11College Hill Road. How many of us drive up the Hill each day andstare at the house, a charming combination of a rustic cottage andQueen Anne style? But let’s face it: no one really gets to see muchmore than this routine view except for seniors who gather there for concentrationdinners and brunches. Here’s a private look inside the house.In 1910, Hamilton’s Professor of Law, Frederick Davenport, built the houseto be used as his family’s summer home. The summer cottage provided theDavenport family with over forty years of leisure and tranquility until 1955 whenthe professor gave the house to President Robert McEwen as the new officialabode for the college’s President. For over half a century, the house’s inhabitantshave worked with the college to keep it impeccably maintained so that its proudhistory can be kept alive.My first surprise was a carriage house near the back entrance. And beforeeven introducing myself to President Stewart, I met the famous Elihu Vedderstatue “Fountain with Standing Boy.” Vedder originally created the fountain and itsstatue for the Rogers Estate back when its patio was used for more stately purposes.The statue is so beloved that Physical Plant encases it with plexi-glass to protect itfrom the severe Clinton winters.The interior aesthetic is even more impressive than the exterior. The sittingroom is spacious and welcoming. Its natural tones and classic appeal direct focusto the many pieces of artwork that adorn the room. It is not commonly knownto the student body that Hamilton’s president has unlimited pemission to borrowart from the Emerson Gallery to display in the house. President Stewart typicallydecorates the house with classical and 19 th century art, but ultimately she prefersworks that hold meaning for the college.One such piece, her most cherished work of art in the house, rests above themantel: a portrait of Samuel Kirkland. Painted posthumously in 1873 by Augustus72 the continental | spring 2008