About the Winthrop House Red Elm

These bowls were handcrafted from a Red Elm tree (Ulmus rubra) that grew in the courtyard of Gore Hall at Winthrop House. When Gore Hall was rebuilt in 1913, two large Red Elms were planted on opposite sides of the courtyard. In 2016, 103 years after being planted, these massive trees were removed to facilitate ongoing House Renewal projects. The underground tunnel, which now spans the courtyard, required passage through the trees’ roots, necessitating their removal.

Gore Hall was one of the original seven freshman dormitories at Harvard. Gore Hall's most notable former resident is John F. Kennedy. Before the renewal, Harvard maintained Kennedy's senior dormitory room as a guest suite, primarily for political dignitaries visiting the Kennedy School of Government. Only a few bowls remain from this tree.