To spot FitzRandolph Gate, look for two tall stone pillars topped with powerful stone eagles, and an ornate black ironwork arch decorated with Princeton’s coat of arms, right at the edge of Nassau Street before you enter campus.
Now, as you stand in front of this magnificent iron gateway, imagine yourself back in the early 1900s. The air is filled with anticipation, and the gate’s elegant black ironwork almost glimmers in the sunlight, practically daring you to peek through to what lies beyond. This isn’t just any entrance - this is the grand FitzRandolph Gate, the very front door to Princeton University! And would you believe, the whole thing exists because of a family whose generosity stretches over centuries, and even a little drama involving a will and a rather unfortunate skeet-shooting accident. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Picture Nathaniel FitzRandolph, a man with big dreams and a knack for rallying folks together-back in the 1700s, he convinced people to bring the College of New Jersey, as Princeton was then known, right here to this very spot. He donated more than four acres, ensuring Nassau Hall and all of Princeton’s history could flourish. Fast forward a couple of generations, and Nathaniel’s great-grandson, Augustus Van Wickle, leaves money in his will to build this gate in Nathaniel’s honor. Sadly, Augustus meets his end at a skeet-shooting tournament-proof that rich family histories sometimes come with a dose of unpredictable excitement.
The gate you see was completed in 1905, crafted by the famous architects McKim, Mead & White, whose work almost whispers “you’re about to enter somewhere exceptional.” For much of its existence, these gates were closed and locked, only swinging open for two occasions: graduation and the famous alumni P-rade. Can you imagine the suspense? Gates barred for most of the year, as if concealing the secrets of the university! But in 1970, a group of spirited seniors decided it was time for Princeton to throw its gates wide open for good-as a symbol of welcome to the world.
But beware! Legends say if any student leaves through these gates before graduating, their diploma will disappear, just like a magician’s rabbit-so freshmen march in, but only graduates march out. Now, every fall, the new class parades through at the Pre-Rade, stepping into a tradition as old as the trees overhead, with laughter, hope, and just a tinge of superstition. So go ahead, admire those swirling iron patterns, the proud eagles, and picture the countless students whose stories began-or ended-right at these gates. Princeton’s heart starts here, and by standing with FitzRandolph Gate before you, you’re peeking into centuries of ambition, legend, and welcome.
