When the clock strikes 4 p.m. every weekday, the historic Sanborn Library in the heart of Dartmouth’s English Department — adjacent to Baker-Berry Library — transforms from a study space to a tea parlor honoring a near 100-year-old tradition. Glass teapots appear, mugs are passed out, steam rises and cookies circulate. For one hour, Sanborn Library becomes a spot for students to take a break from their busy lives.
The history of the tradition runs deep. According to the College’s website, Sanborn House was built to honor Edwin David Sanborn. A member of the Class of 1832, Sanborn was a Dartmouth English professor known for inviting students to his home each afternoon to share tea and books. Sanborn library was constructed in his honor in the 1930s, the tea hour serving as a tribute to his dedication to connect.
I attended Sanborn Tea for the first time on April 3 after hearing my friends talk about its integral role in their study sessions. I walked in to students hard at work on their laptops, highlighting readings and flipping through notes. The only sound came from the hum of the electric kettle. A blue couch towards the front of the room called to me, and I took my seat.
Each weekday, a student tea server arrives around 3:30 p.m. to begin setting up. According to Keogh Servers are often English majors or those who have enjoyed the tea hour themselves. On the day I visited Sanborn, I watched the student server— Milea Keogh ’25— set up.
Keogh explained that the job entails boiling water, unloading mugs and saucers, preparing loose-leaf teas — often lemon ginger and Earl Grey — and laying out cookies. More often than not, a line has already formed as the clock tower chimes 4 p.m.
“It definitely [runs] out,” said Keogh. “This year more than ever, I’ve noticed people coming every single day. We’ve even started doing to-go cups.”
Keogh began working as a server her sophomore summer after receiving a message from the English department looking to fill shifts. Since then, she has become immersed in the tradition.
“There’s something very romantic and very Ivy League about it,” Keogh added. “These warm, meaningful spaces that are free and consistent and don’t require planning — they just kind of happen. And people keep showing up.”
Sanborn Tea may not shout its presence, but its impact is deeply felt. The day I attended tea, the line wove from the back of the library almost to where I worked. While the tea hour is popular, there is almost always a spot for newcomers — I found a seat right away.
When I got to the front of the line, I asked for their herbal tea option, and the server promptly poured it into a mug on a matching saucer. Though the room stayed hushed as people returned to their seats with tea, I could tell the mood had been lifted.
Some students come alone, others in groups.
“It’s a communal study space,” Keogh said. “But it’s also a moment of stillness.”
Not only is the tea delicious, but Sanborn Library’s dark academia aesthetic and architecture — butternut paneling, a marble fireplace, leather chairs and heavy oak tables — set the perfect scene for this classy ritual.
Keogh pointed out a black-and-white picture near the tea desk — a cartoon of English professors in suits and long coats with teacup heads by cartoonist Abner Dean circa the 1930s.
“It makes me feel connected to past classes,” she said. “Like I’m part of something bigger.”
This sense of connection extends across generations.
“There are [members of the English faculty] that always make a donation [to the tea service], even though it’s not common practice,” Keogh said.
While I was sipping my tea, a student walked in showing around two prospective students who were hopeful English majors. A few minutes later, I saw two professors stop for tea as well. The environment felt comforting, and I found it easier to do my work in the comforting environment of a community.
Although Dartmouth is a school rich with traditions, Sanborn Tea feels unique. It’s embedded in academia rather than an exclusive space like Greek life, nor does it require an invite or RSVP. Anyone can come and stay for anywhere from five minutes to an hour.
“It’s one of those rare spaces that doesn’t ask anything of you,” said Keogh. “It just invites you to show up.”
As simple as the concept may seem, Sanborn Tea continues to offer something students rarely find on their schedules: an hour that belongs just to them.
Hannah Krueger ’26, a regular at Sanborn Tea, attends almost every week. She told me how important it is to have a practice like this in her routine.
“It’s a break in the day,” Krueger said. “Four p.m. rolls around, the tea comes out. It’s very quiet and Sanborn-y…and I feel connected to past classes at Dartmouth while I work because [the tradition] has been going on for so long.”
Whether it is your first time or your 50th, at 4 p.m. in Sanborn, there will always be a nook, a chair and a hot cup waiting.
