Allen Steinheim Museum on the Alfred University campus in Alfred, New York, was built between 1876 and 1880 to house Jonathan Allen’s collections of minerals, geological specimens, natural objects, and curiosities. Originally begun by Professor Ida Kenyon as a private residence inspired by German castles, the stone building retained that influence in its crenellated design. Its walls were made from more than 8,000 rock specimens, and its interior used 700 kinds of wood. By the 1930s it was regarded as the nation’s second oldest college museum. After closing as a museum in the early 1950s, it was reused, restored, and eventually became the Robert R. McComsey Career Development Center.