Cornerstone(s) of our community | Notre Dame Photography

While we wait for the school year and football season to get started, let’s pass the time with a little game…

How many people notice the cornerstones around campus? At some point in the past, the building you’re walking in or out of was a big, big deal. (Yes, even Stepan Center!) Funds were raised, contractors were hired, dirt was dug, steel and bricks and glass were assembled, and someone decided they’d commemorate the occasion with a ceremonial cornerstone. Most buildings on campus have one, and when you stop and examine them they tell a story of the building and the era of Notre Dame history in which they were constructed. Some are plain-jane numbers noting the year of construction, others are Roman numerals, and others have more pomp and circumstance, with decorative elements or Latin words like “Anno Domini.”

And when it becomes necessary to tear down a building, the cornerstone often becomes the memorial–the old fieldhouse and Holy Cross Hall, for example.

As you all can tell by now, I’m fascinated by these things.

So here’s a little puzzle, or if you’re on campus–a scavenger hunt. Here are ten cornerstones from residence halls on campus. Can you guess the building by the cornerstone? (A hint: One of these ten is no longer a dorm.) The answers are at the bottom of this post.

See a gallery of over 40 cornerstones (told ya I was fascinated by these things!) here: http://photos.nd.edu/gallery/Cornerstones/G0000_BJuygbjjn0/C0000vECNsCcal94

Matt Cashore

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