If a picture is worth a thousand words, then how many is a building worth? Or better yet, what about a city? John W. Stamper’s City and Campus: An Architectural History of South Bend, Notre Dame, and Saint Mary’s illustrates the rich history of a midwestern, industrial city and its two major campuses. This engaging study analyzes the historic architecture and urban development of South Bend, Notre Dame, and Saint Mary’s College, from their earliest settlement in the 1830’s and ‘40s to the end of the 1920s.
“City and Campus is an ambitious and engaging book,” comments Michelangelo Sabatino. “By deftly weaving together a diverse range of buildings and sites, architectural historian and educator John W. Stamper reveals his deep understanding about the diverse forces that shape our built environment over time.”
Stamper’s book traces the appearance of various styles of architecture and types of buildings throughout this region, placing these developments within their historical and social contexts. He shows how South Bend’s architecture was the product of large-scale industrialization through the 19th century, whereas Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s developed in an altogether different trajectory, detached from South Bend’s social and economic context.
Travis Childs, a local archivist and historian, says: “John W. Stamper has done a fantastic job knitting together the history of two world-class universities and the northern Indiana industrial city of South Bend. He has brought together in an exciting way how the architecture of both campus and the city evolved over the 100 years the book covers. A great read!”
City and Campus will be released April 1, 2024. For more information, or to request a review copy, contact Steffi Marchman, shoffma7@nd.edu, 574-631-4905.