Berzelius Society Tomb

Despite the bustle of the busy intersection of Trumbull, Whitney, and Temple streets, it is impossible to miss the imposing monument of the Berzelius Society Tomb. Built in 1910, the Tomb is a neoclassical-style society hall that houses one of Yale’s eminent secret societies, Berzelius. Largely bereft, apart from its crowning ornamentation at the top, bottom, and entrance, the Tomb is architecturally as well as physically distanced from its urban landscape. The Tomb’s physically imposing structure that stands removed from its urban context paired with a dearth of concrete information on its social history creates a mysterious allure for the casual observer and the scholar alike.