6 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About BU

Boston University is full of hidden gems and surprising facts, from its historic castle to its rooftop green spaces, offering more than meets the eye for students and visitors alike.

by Sammy Seabury

Photo by Miranda Ceron

As a large university, many of BU’s stories and communities may take some searching to discover. Here are six things you probably didn’t know about BU that showcase the university’s rich history, creative spirit, and stellar innovation.

1. The BU Castle was originally a home built for wealthy businessman William Lindsey in 1915.

The Castle has served many purposes over the past 109 years. After the castle was donated to BU in 1939, the University’s president resided there until 1967. From then on, it has served as a space for lectures and events. Fuller’s BU Pub, located in the basement of the castle, opened in 1988. 

2. The Judson B. Coit Observatory is open to the public on Wednesday evenings. 

On the roof of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Coit Observatory hosts a “Public Open Night at the Observatory” on most Wednesday evenings as a way for students and locals to view the night sky from a new perspective. Using the telescopes and binoculars, visitors may learn a thing or two about astronomy. 

3. Rhett’s name comes from Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel Gone With the Wind.

Student vote declared the Boston terrier to be BU’s mascot in 1922, yet the mascot was not given the name Rhett until 1983. Rhett’s name is inspired by the novel Gone With the Wind, involving a play on words between the story’s main character Rhett Butler, and his love interest Scarlett O’Hara. Since scarlet is BU’s signature color, the name seemed to be fitting. Due to the novel’s portrayal of slavery and racism, Rhett’s name has given rise to concerns in recent years.

4. BU’s new president, Melissa L. Gilliam, helped to create a video game to prevent sexual violence among teens. 

The game is called Bystander, and was created in 2015 as part of the University of Chicago’s Game Changer program; the program was co-founded by President Gilliam.

5. BU has two rooftop green spaces.

The BU Community Garden (@bucommunitygarden on IG) was created in 2021 on the rooftop of Warren Towers and is cared for by its official BU club as of 2023. In addition, the roof across the road is home to the “secret” Stone Science Greenhouse above the Stone Science Building. Both gardens are a great place for students passionate about agriculture and urban sustainability!

6. BU’s Center for Computing & Data Sciences (CDS) gets the majority of its power from a wind farm in South Dakota.

The 15-year power purchase agreement established by BU Wind is vital in keeping CDS at the perfect temperature all year. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, BU’s Chief Sustainability Officer Dennis Carlberg explained that the use of wind power in CDS was “bold, because if there’s no electricity to the building, there’s no natural gas backup to keep the building warm.”