Hackley has always had its gargoyles — a traditional looking one modeled after the gargoyles of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, a dancing Bacchus, and a wise old monk with a shield — odd figures that peek out from the school’s architecture here and there.
According to Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, the word "gargoyle" harkens back to the 13th century, drawn from the Old French gargouille, meaning "throat," and is defined as "a spout in the form of a grotesque human or animal figure projecting from a roof gutter to throw rainwater clear of the building." From this original function, gargoyles became common ornaments on Medieval buildings, where they are said to offer a range of meanings and purposes, from the simple function of drainage to warding off evil, symbols of fun, and sometimes mischievous representations of local dignitaries.