Crouse College

Crouse College, also known as Crouse Memorial College and historically as John Crouse Memorial College for Women, is a building on the Syracuse University campus. It was funded by John R. Crouse, an "enormously wealthy Syracuse banker". The architect, Archimedes Russell, was charged with coming up with a spectacular building, and used the Romanesque revival—Richardsonian Romanesque style.The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.HistoryCrouse College was home to the first College of Fine Arts in the United States and now is known for both its College of Visual and Performing Arts and the Rose, Jules R., and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music.ConstructionThe first cornerstone for the new college was laid in June 1888, and the building was completed in September 1889. The building cost almost half a million dollars and was a gift from local merchant and banker, John Crouse, and his son, D. Edgar Crouse. The elder Crouse was a trustee of the university and built the college as a memorial to his wife. The architect, Archimedes Russell, exceeded the original budget.The building was intended for use as a women's college and was originally named the John Crouse Memorial College for Women; however, John Crouse died during its construction and his son opened the institution for use by both men and women.At the time of construction, it was the third building on campus and the highest structure in the city. It was built in the Romanesqueue Revival style "with High Victorian Gothic qualities."