Bancroft Hall

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Bancroft Hall at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is the largest single dormitory in the world.[1][2][3] Bancroft Hall, named after former Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft, is home for the entire brigade of 4,000 midshipmen[4], and contains some 1,700 rooms, 4.8 miles (7.7 km) of corridors[5], and 33 acres of floor space. All the basic facilities that midshipmen need for daily living are found in the hall (Military Heritage, February 2005, Volume 6, No. 4, p.72). It is affectionately referred to as "Mother B" by Midshipmen.

Bancroft Hall, designed by Beaux-Arts architect Ernest Flagg and built in 1901–06, has eight wings—arranged, as on a ship, with even-numbered wings on one side ("port") and odd-numbered wings on the other ("starboard")—of five stories ("decks") each numbered 0-4. In addition to the midshipmen rooms, Bancroft Hall houses offices for the Commandant of Midshipmen, six battalion officers, six battalion chaplains, thirty company officers and their senior enlisted leaders, a barbershop, bank, travel office, textbook store, general store ("The Naval Academy Store" or "The Mid Store"), laundromat, uniform store, cobbler shop, the USNA Band, the USNA branch of the United States Postal Service, a gymnasium, spaces for extracurricular activities, and full medical & dental clinics. The Hall has its own ZIP code (21412).

The building is also home to King Hall (named after Fleet Admiral Ernest King), where all midshipmen are fed simultaneously three times daily, and Memorial Hall, where scrolls and plaques commemorate alumni lost in battle and those who lost their lives while still Midshipmen. Memorial Hall and the Rotunda of Bancroft Hall are open to the general public but access to the rest of the building is normally limited to assigned Naval personnel.

The Brigade of Midshipmen marches into Bancroft Hall during Noon Meal Formation, a ceremony that occurs daily in the fall and spring.
The Brigade of Midshipmen marches into Bancroft Hall during Noon Meal Formation, a ceremony that occurs daily in the fall and spring.
A view inside of Memorial Hall inside of Bancroft Hall
A view inside of Memorial Hall inside of Bancroft Hall
The interior of the Rotunda of Bancroft Hall; the steps lead up to Memorial Hall
The interior of the Rotunda of Bancroft Hall; the steps lead up to Memorial Hall

Bancroft Hall at Phillips Exeter Academy is also named for George Bancroft (1811). It was constructed during the Exeter building boom of the 1920s and 1930s under the direction of Eighth Principal Lewis Perry.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Annapolis Maryland Area Information
  2. ^ KNLS American Highway, Page Two
  3. ^ U.S. Naval Academy - Reviews and Ratings of Sights in Annapolis - New York Times Travel
  4. ^ Annapolis Hotels Boating and Dining - Itinerary Helps in Planning Annapolis Visit on Annapolis.com
  5. ^ Reef Points, Naval Institute Press