Harvard Law School has a storied history, evident in the buildings around campus that denote centuries of growth and innovation. From the nearly 200-year-old Gannett House to modern structures like Wasserstein Hall, the campus is full of architectural feats that stand the test of time.
Take a look back into the archives with Harvard Law Today’s Then & Now series, stories that showcase centuries of photography and archival work compiled by the Communications Office and Historical & Special Collections.
Harvard Law School’s Gannett House, which was built in 1838 is the school’s oldest surviving building
![Watertcolor painting of four two story houses in a row.](https://hls.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Holmes-Place-Cropped-18029346_Rev.2550.jpg)
![A white building with columns next to a brick building.](https://hls.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Underwater-Sound-Lab-Gannett-Hemenway_02_IMG_2594_2550.jpg)
![A man sits on a black chair in a room near a window and some bookshelves with law books](https://hls.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/10_10_13_Campus_Shots_BKraft053.jpg)
![A white building with columns on a campus](https://hls.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/01a_bk.hls_.20131010.7400-1800x1200-compressed.jpg)
Harvard Law School’s Austin Hall, which opened in 1883 is one of the oldest buildings in continuous use for law teaching in the United States.
![An archival photo of a reading room with students sitting at long tables reading books under dim lighting](https://hls.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Ames-courtroom-was-HLS-Library_AUSTIN_HALL069_rc.jpg)
![A group photo of students in rows in front of Austin Hall](https://hls.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/HLS-class-of-1895_9136992.jpg)
![One of the stone carved faces from the Austin Hall exterior with a touch of snow on his head](https://hls.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/1.12.11Snow128_1.jpg)
![Exterior view of Austin Hall in early evening.](https://hls.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/bk.hls_.20141015.4157.jpg)
Harvard Law School’s Langdell Hall, which opened in 1907 is home of the most extensive academic law library in the world
![A 1918 photo which shows a large building with columns in the background and military exercises on the field in front with onlooker watching the scene.](https://hls.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Langdell_U.S.-Naval_School_165-WW-105K-005_April-1918.jpg)
![A black and white photo of a large room with wooden tables and chairs](https://hls.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Historical_HUA_031_002-1.jpg)
![Long view of the Reading Room in Langdell Hall](https://hls.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NEWLAN07..jpg)
![The exterior of Langdell in the fall](https://hls.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/20181107_Langdell-Hall-Autumn_LGranger002.jpg)