This is the oldest building on campus. It was originally built as a private residence and was purchased by Cornell President William Fletcher King, who lived there from 1864 until he retired and gave the house to the college in 1908.

It's likely that as a student or visitor you'll be at the President's House for a reception. While you're on the grounds, enjoy the gazebo, perennial gardens, and array of sculptures, many created by local artists. And check out the ginkgo tree, certified by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources as "the largest reported of its species growing in the state of Iowa."

The tree was planted by William Hamilton, and the tale of how his daughter Margaret eventually bacame Lady Waterlow, wife to a former mayor of London, was recounted in a 2003 Cornell Report article by Cornell historian Charles Milhauser.