Cooper Union

Established in 1859, Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is a college whose existence has long been intertwined with the history of the bohemian East Village. The school—which until recently charged no tuition—offers a number of resources available to the general public, including the Herb Lubalin Study Center of Design and Typography collection (housed inside the school's new, avant-garde-looking building 41 Cooper Square). The massive Italianate "old" building that dominates Cooper Square houses the historic Great Hall, where Abraham Lincoln's speech on slavery, in February 1860, turned him into a national figure and a serious candidate for the presidency. The Great Hall continues to host public events and speakers to this day.