Van Wickle Gates

The Van Wickle Gates form the grand main entrance to the main campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. They stand at the intersection of College Street and Prospect Street at the highest point of College Hill and were dedicated on June 18, 1901. Funded by the estate of banker Augustus Stout Van Wickle, they were designed by the architects Hoppin & Ely and Hoppin & Koen. The structure is made of wrought iron supported by brick and stone pillars. The large central gate is flanked by two smaller side gates and is topped with the university's coat of arms, while the pillars bear the seals of Rhode Island and Providence. Inscriptions from Cicero appear on the sides. As part of the historic College Hill District, the gates are a significant landmark. While the side gates are open year-round, the central gate usually stays closed and opens only on special occasions such as the opening convocation of the academic year or commencement. A campus legend holds that students who pass through the central gate more than twice will not graduate, which is why some walk through it backward or hopping to avoid the supposed curse.