Twain On Campus

Susan and Theodore Crane surprised their brother-in-law Samuel L. Clemens with this study in 1874. It was placed about 100 yards from the main house at Quarry Farm on a knoll overlooking the Chemung River Valley. In this octagonal building Mark Twain wrote major portions of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Life on the Mississippi, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, The Prince and the Pauper, A Tramp Abroad, and many short pieces. In 1952 the Mark Twain Study was moved from Quarry Farm to the Elmira College campus. The Study is staffed by trained student guides daily throughout the summer and by appointment in the off-season.

The Mark Twain Exhibit in Hamilton Hall houses photographs, stereoscopic views, and memorabilia from the summers Mark Twain and his family spent in Elmira. The Exhibit also contains association furniture and clothing. Trained student guides are on hand to speak with visitors daily throughout the summer and by appointment in the off-season about Elmira's unique place in Mark Twain's life.

The statue is a gift of the Elmira College Class of 1934, who have a long standing interest in Mark Twain and the Center for Mark Twain Studies. Made of bronze, the statue weighs 376 pounds. From the base to the top of the structure, it is 12 feet high, which is two fathoms or, as riverboat pilots would say, mark twain. The statue was created by Gary Weisman of Roseville, Pennsylvania.

The Mark Twain Study & The Mark Twain Exhibit

Summer Hours:
May through Labor Day
Monday through Saturday: 9 AM - 5 PM
Sunday: 2 noon - 5 PM

Labor Day through Mid-October
Saturday: 9 AM - 5 PM
Sunday: 12 noon - 5 PM

To make an off-season appointment contact:

The Center for Mark Twain Studies
Elmira College
One Park Place
Elmira, NY 14901
Phone: (607) 735-1941
Fax: (607) 735-1756
E-mail: twaincenter@elmira.edu