Divinity Hall

Harvard Divinity School’s oldest building, Divinity Hall, was constructed in 1826. The first Harvard building erected outside of the Yard, its location was allegedly due in part to the University’s attempt to separate the subject of theology from the University’s larger responsibilities. Nevertheless, Divinity Hall provided a vital home—literally and spiritually—for HDS students and was foundational to the growth of the School over the decades that followed. 

Since its construction, Divinity Hall has contained administrative offices, dining facilities, a library, and dormitories that housed, over the years, such notable figures as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Peter Gomes, and Krister Stendahl. The Divinity Chapel, now colloquially called “Emerson Chapel,” was a central prayer and learning space from the very beginning, and it continues to be a favorite corner of campus today. In 1903 and 1904, the building underwent several improvements, including the complete renovation of the chapel and the addition of a “modern bathroom,” which, along with a common room and tennis courts, made Divinity Hall “one of the most attractive dormitories in the University.” 

With the construction of additional HDS campus spaces over the years, including the recently renovated Swartz Hall, Divinity Hall now serves a different but equally important purpose. The building is home to many faculty, classrooms, and offices, including the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB), the Office of Ministry Studies (OMS), and the Office of Religion and Public Life (RPL). As a result, Divinity Hall is where students, faculty, and staff converge for events that build community and prepare students for their careers ahead.

The monthly "Gathering to Breathe and Heal Circle" is hosted by the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging for “members of the HDS community to co-create a container with others who want to gather to pray and/or hold intentions... in our community work of justice and healing within ourselves, on our campus, and in the world.” With the “Multireligious Ministry Tea,” students are invited to join the Office of Ministry Studies to discuss ministry in multireligious contexts. Community game nights, the latest addition to the roster of events, are sponsored jointly by DIB, OMS, and RPL, and held in the Divinity Hall Multipurpose Room. 

Another recent development is the creation of a new digital media studio located on the ground floor of Divinity Hall. The soundproof space contains professional audio recording equipment to support HDS podcasts, including Harvard Religion Beat and Faculty Focus. It also includes video equipment and a teleprompter for recording leadership remarks, faculty features, and interviews with members of the HDS community. The studio significantly enhances HDS’s digital storytelling capabilities and helps to maximize the School’s reach to a larger audience. 

Just as in HDS’s earliest days, Divinity Chapel continues to be a site of prayer, meditation, and contemplation. Located on the third floor of Divinity Hall, the intimate, wood-paneled space is home to weekly spiritual gatherings of groups like HDS Unitarian Universalists, HDS Quakers, the HDS Lutherans, a liturgical reading and vespers group, and several Buddhist groups and courses. This variety of religious gatherings beautifully reflects the multifaith nature of HDS—an aspect of the School’s mission that has changed dramatically since the construction of Divinity Hall nearly 200 years ago. 

—by Sarah Rubin