A Passion Fulfilled for All to Enjoy

WPI's Higgins House continues to impress us with its enduring qualities of taste and construction. And its history is a tale as colorful as that of the 16th-century Tudor castle that inspired Aldus Higgins, '93, to create a dream house for his wife May.

Clockwise from upperleft: Aldus C. Higgins '93 in 1940; Gables showing a recurring pattern; The elegant Great Hall

Of all the inquiries that come to the WPI Archives, more concern WPI's priceless Higgins House than any other aspect of the college history. Questions come from students-some writing Humanities project reports-others from faculty, staff and the public, all satisfying a curiosity about the House: Who was Higgins? When was the estate built? Why a mini-castle tucked away on the edge of the WPI campus? How did the house look in its prime? How has the house been used, and what is its future?

Some of the answers to these questions can be found in the artifacts of the WPI Archives; but many are built into Higgins House itself-in the sneers of the gargoyles, the ancient wood paneling, in the fluted chimneys and antique tile.

Most of us stand in awe of the Higgins House - that a WPI graduated lived in such grandeur; that a mere 60 years ago construction of this magnificence was economically possible; that such time, care and attestation to detail were invested in a house.