The wrought iron gates of College Walk, symbols of welcome to Columbia University for over thirty years, have been removed for repair and repainting. Restoration work will be performed off campus to minimize disruption to pedestrians. The restored gates will be returned to campus mid-August.

During restoration, the layers of black paint applied annually in preparation for Commencement will be stripped; missing or damaged tassels, spires and other gate ornaments will be recast; and the stone pylons will be restored and cleaned. The wheels will also be replaced to facilitate the closing of the gates, which occurs only once a year for a few hours on Commencement Day. The campus is open to the public the rest of the year.

Over 100 years ago, the Mc Kim, Mead and White architectural firm, which designed the original campus plan of 1896, envisioned classic gates on Broadway and Amsterdam at 116th as the main entrance to Columbia. But it was not until over seventy years later that the gates were finally commissioned and presented to Columbia by publisher George T. Delacorte Jr. (CC '13).

In the coming weeks, the historic stone pylons at the Broadway and Amsterdam entrances will be restored and cleaned for the first time in generations by a local firm. The Broadway pylons bearing the granite statues of "Letters," a female figure with an open book, gift of Columbia College class of 1890, and "Scientia," a male figure representing knowledge, gift of the class of 1925. The pylons were built in 1916 and 1925 respectively. On Amsterdam Avenue the pylons were built in 1932 in memory of Theodore W. Dwight, law professor before the turn of the century, and John B. Pine, a clerk of the University Trustees from 1891 to 1922.

The gates will be restored on site by Robinson Iron, an internationally-acclaimed iron restoration firm based in Alabama that constructed many of New York City's classic iron subway entrances, such as the Astor place kiosk, years ago.