Excavations Disclose Old Wall

In the course of the excavations for the subway on Massachusetts avenue, a little to the west of Wadsworth House, an old foundation wall, extending some forty feet, was recently uncovered. Only the lower courses of the wall were to be seen, the upper courses having been dispersed many years ago when the water pipes were laid in the street. Enough remained, however, to show that the smooth or inner face was toward the north, proving it to have been in all probability the collar wall of a building standing on the north side of the street. It may safely be claimed that the building itself must have been either the original "Harvard College," built in 1638, or else Edward Goffe's house, which stood on the next lot, and before 1654 had been acquired by the College for use as a dormitory. It was called "Goffe's Colledge" and is described in the early College records as containing "five chambers, 18 studies, a kitchen, cellar, and 3 garrets." The position of the foundation wall to the west of Wadsworth House makes the identification of the building with the Goffe house the more probable. As the work of excavation progresses to the eastward, it is likely that the foundations of the original College building will be found. The discovery is particularly interesting because the position of these houses has never been known with precision.