Photo by Rachel Weiss

This 12-ton sculpture of a book, titled Stone Book Universe sits in the courtyard between Homer D. Babbidge Library and the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center. Quarried in Finland and carved in Italy by German sculptors Anna and Wolfgang Kubach-Wilmsen, this sculpture was added to UConn’s campus in 1995.1

Photo by Rachel Weiss

One of the most famous landmarks of UConn’s campus is Jonathan the Husky, located in the Thomas and Bette Wolff Family Park directly outside Gampel Pavilion. This statue of UConn’s mascot, carved in 1995 by Larry S. Wasiele out of stone from Paul King Foundry in Johnston, R.I., has the distinction of being known as good luck. Students come from all over campus to rub his nose and ears before big exams and basketball games. “I think it’s cool that its nose is all golden and the rest is all oxidized,” said 3rd semester Fine Arts major Troy Caldeira.

Photo by Rachel Weiss

Behind a protective barrier, the north wall of the Little Stone House is made out of stones collected from every single one of the 50 states. A.P. Marsh, of New Britain, collected stones from the 48 contiguous states in the 1930s, and donated them to The Grange, a national organization of farmers, who used them to design a memorial to put on the University of Connecticut’s Storrs campus, and added stones from Hawaii and Alaska in the 1960s. This photo shows a close up of many of the stones, which are identified by nameplate. “I guess it’s appropriate because we were originally an agricultural school,” 5th semester Fine Arts major Marijane Ceruti said, when she learned about the origins of The Little Stone House. The House was dedicated on May 16, 1937, and has stood opposite Swan Lake since then.2

Photo by Rachel Weiss

On UConn’s Great Lawn is another landmark of campus; the memorial dedicated to UConn alumni who died while serving the United States Armed Forces. The memorial, a gift from the UConn Alumni Association dedicated in November 2008, highlights a headstone that is made of stone from the same quarry as the stone used in Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. “We have ‘notable alumni’ pages on UConn websites,” Ceruti said, “We should have something for the people who served UConn and the United States.”

Photo by Rachel Weiss

A favorite feature for many UConn students, The Rock is, like Jonathan the Husky, both a landmark and a tradition. A piece of rock carved from one that originally sat across from North Campus, The Rock has been painted by thousands of UConn students, celebrating achievements on campus and advertising clubs, Greek life organizations, and events. “There’s very few places where you can go and graffiti things and the school is so okay with it,” Caldeira said. Ceruti agreed, and said, “It makes use of the artistic expression of students on campus.”

Photo by Rachel Weiss

1. Farrish, Katherine. "Clinton To Attend Dedication Of Dodd Center At UConn." Hartford Courant Sep 1995, n. pag. Web. 22 Sep. 2012.

2. Roy, Mark J. ""Little Stone House" represents 50 states, pays tribute to Connecticut agriculture." University of Connecticut Advance. 1997: n. page. Web. 22 Sep. 2012.

3. All additional reporting by Rachel Weiss