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Tours

1. Paradise Neighborhood

   The houses of Paradise include some of the largest on campus, but each house remains committed to creating a healthy and supportive community.

   Stops

   1. Friedman Apartments

      The Friedman apartment complex on Paradise Road, completed in 2016, has 18 four-person apartments. The complex consists of five buildings with four apartments in each building (two apartments on each floor), and four single rooms in each apartment. Two Friedman rooms are reserved for apartment managers.

      The houses are named for five pioneering alumnae:

      • Cromwell House, after Otelia Cromwell, class of 1900, Smith’s first African American graduate
      • DeCora House, after Angel DeCora, class of 1896, Smith’s first Native American student
      • Hashimy House, after Sabiha Yassin Hashimy, class of 1937, Smith’s first Middle Eastern student 
      • Machado House, after Salomé Amelia Machado, class of 1883, Smith’s first Latina student 
      • Ninomiya House, after Tei Ninomiya, class of 1910, the first East Asian student to graduate from Smith 

      Each house is completely furnished; however, students must provide cooking utensils and cookware.

      The original Friedman Apartments were on Henshaw Avenue and opened in 1978. They are named in honor of Robert and Eugenie Friedman (class of 1947), who funded the buildings. On-campus apartments were built in response to requests from students in the 1960s and 1970s for more independent living options.

   2. Cushing House

      Cushing House is one of the 10 houses of "the quad." The short path from the quad to the center of campus passes the president's house and offers a beautiful view of Paradise Pond.

      The complex was built in stages starting in 1922, to alleviate a housing shortage on campus. When all the houses were completed in 1936, William Allan Neilson, then president of Smith, pronounced it the "Great Quadrangle."

      Since academic buildings are a 10-minute walk and downtown Northampton is 15 minutes away, many students enjoy having a bicycle. Cushing is also easily accessible to the fare-free Five College bus service, aiding students who take advantage of courses in the Five College interchange system. The buses are also an easy way to get around the rest of the Pioneer Valley.

   3. Emerson House

      Emerson House is one of the 10 houses of "the quad." The short path from the quad to the center of campus passes the president's house and offers a beautiful view of Paradise Pond.

      The complex was built in stages starting in 1922 to alleviate a housing shortage on campus. When all the houses were completed in 1936, William Allan Neilson, then the president of Smith, pronounced it the "Great Quadrangle."

      A study room provides students an alternative place to work if their roommates are sleeping or Neilson Library is closed.

      Every fall the house hosts a unique tradition, Emerson's Medieval Banquet. Each senior in the house invites a professor to be her personal guest at a banquet full of singing, dancing, food and merriment. Students and faculty attend in medieval garb and enjoy the festivities planned by the junior, sophomore and first-year students. Emerson House has a special role in what is one of Smith's favored annual traditions, Mountain Day. The president of the college chooses a beautiful autumn day to cancel classes, allowing students to enjoy the foliage and the weather. No one knows when Mountain Day will be until the president rings the college bells early in the morning to signify that classes are canceled. After the bells finish ringing, Emersonians blare recordings of the "1812 Overture" to make sure the whole quad is aware of the holiday. A house across the quad responds by playing the "Hallelujah Chorus."

   4. Jordan House

      Jordan House is one of 10 houses that make up a complex of residences known as "the quad." Since the quad is a 10-minute walk from academic buildings and a 15-minute walk to downtown Northampton, many Jordan residents prefer to use bicycles.

      The complex was built in stages starting in 1922 to alleviate a housing shortage on campus. When all the quad houses were completed in 1936, William Allan Neilson (then president of Smith College) dubbed it the "Great Quadrangle."

      The first three quad houses, Jordan, Cushing and Emerson, were completed in 1922. Jordan House was named for Mary Augusta Jordan, a professor of English at Smith from 1884 to 1921, who was known for her brilliance and eccentric personality.

      Jordan House boasts a particularly cozy living room, which is a favorite gathering place for Jordan residents.

   5. King House

      King House is one of the 10 houses of "the quad," which form a semicircle and enclose a small courtyard. This area is also the site of the "diploma circle" where graduates distribute their diplomas during Commencement.

      King, and its sister, Scales House, were constructed in 1935 and 1936. The complex was built in stages starting in 1922 to alleviate a housing shortage on campus. When all houses were completed in 1936, William Allan Neilson, then the president of Smith, pronounced it the "Great Quadrangle."

      King House is named for Franklin King, who for 50 years served as the superintendent of the Buildings and Grounds department at Smith. King was appointed in 1886 by then president L. Clark Seelye and retired in 1936. He was well liked by all members of the community.

      The first floor has a large, spacious living room, with a piano and fireplace, and a study room that provides an alternative place to work.

   6. Scales House

      Scales House is one of the 10 houses of "the quad," which form a semicircle and enclose a small courtyard. This is also the site of the "diploma circle" where graduates distribute their diplomas during Commencement.

      The complex was built in stages starting in 1922, to alleviate a housing shortage on campus. When all the houses were completed in 1936, William Allan Neilson, then president of Smith, pronounced it the "Great Quadrangle."

      Scales and its sister house, King, were built in 1935 and 1936. Laura Scales was named after Laura Woolsey Lord Scales of the class of 1901. Scales was Smith's first dean of students, a post that she held for 22 years.

   7. Park House

      Park House is an integral part of the history of Northampton and Smith College.

      An elaborate residence with a view of Paradise Pond, Park House was built in 1880 by W.T. Clement, the founder of Clement Cutlery Company. In 1909, the house was acquired by Emily Malbon, who rented it as off-campus housing for Smith students. When Smith College acquired the property in 1923, Mrs. Malbon's (as it was once known) became Park House, named for one of the original trustees of the college, Reverend Edwards Amasa Park.

      Park House is in a scenic spot near the president's house and Paradise Pond. It is a five-minute walk to the central campus area, libraries, classrooms and administrative buildings, and about a 10-minute walk to downtown Northampton. Many Park residents have bicycles on campus and prefer to cycle to class or town.