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Tours

1. Mountain Neighborhood

   The Mountain neighborhood has the greatest range in architectural design and house size. Most of the houses are close to downtown.

   Stops

   1. Capen House

      With its stately columns and Ionic portico and pediment, Capen House is a fine example of classical revival architecture. The cupola, gazebo, and gardens at the rear of the house are among the features that distinguish Capen from other houses on campus.

      Built in 1825, Capen originally served as a law school. The house then became a summer home, and in 1883 it became part of Miss Bessie Capen’s private school.

      The house has a cozy living room and sitting room, where housemates like to gather and socialize.

   2. Parsons House

      The site on which Parsons House now stands has played an important part in local history. The land is said to have been purchased by Cornet Joseph Parsons from Native Americans in 1645, before the first settlement of Northampton. The property served as the home for two generations of the Parsons family. It was eventually acquired by Miss Bessie Capen, who built what she called “Faunce House” to serve as a dormitory, library, and recitation hall for the Capen School, which she founded in the early 1900s. Smith College acquired the property in 1921 and the house, renamed, has served as a Smith residence since that time.

      Parsons is home to members of all four classes. Its location removes it from the noise and bustle of center campus, though it is only a 10- to 15-minute walk to academic buildings and downtown Northampton.

   3. Ziskind House

      Ziskind is centrally located across the street from the Campus Center, where students can get a quick bite to eat, lounge, and socialize.

      Neilson Library, academic, and administrative buildings are only a five-minute walk, and downtown Northampton is ten minutes away.

      The living room has a television and fireplace, which gets plenty of use in the winter. Next to the living room is a quiet room for studying or reading. The room also houses the steadily growing Ziskind House library and is a great place for meetings and gatherings.

      Each room has a window that runs the width of the room, providing much sunlight (drapes are provided by the college).

      The wings of Ziskind and Cutter come together to form a courtyard. In the winter it is the setting for many snowball fights. In the spring and fall, it is often used for house barbecues.

      During the winter break (after classes end in the fall but before interterm begins), Ziskind and Cutter house any international students who have chosen to remain on campus. International students already assigned to Ziskind or Cutter may remain in their assigned rooms during this time. However, international students who reside in other houses during the academic year are assigned to the rooms in Ziskind and Cutter belonging to students away on break.

   4. Cutter House

      Cutter is centrally located. It is directly across the street from the Campus Center, where students can socialize, lounge and get a quick bite to eat.

      Neilson Library, academic buildings, and administrative buildings are only a five-minute walk, and downtown Northampton is only 10 minutes away. 

      The Cutter living room has a television and fireplace, which gets plenty of use in the winter. Next to the living room is the “beau parlor,” a quiet room for reading. It received this nickname in the late 1950s when students had to meet their beaus in this room because men were not allowed upstairs.

      Each room has a large window that runs the width of the room and a drape provided by the college. A large closet and set of drawers are built into one end of the room, providing ample storage space.

      The wings of Cutter and Ziskind come together to form a courtyard. Rumor has it that the area was originally designated to be a pool site. No evidence of a pool exists, although students still find that the courtyard is a great place to get some sun.

   5. Northrop House

      Northrop House is a four-and-a half-story, red brick building with white wood trim, built by Charles Rich in Georgian Revival style and opened in 1911.

      With dormer windows and an adjacent porch connecting it to its twin building, Gillett, Northrop sits conveniently across Elm Street from the college entrance and John M. Greene Hall. Named after Birdseye Grant Northrop, one of the first trustees of the college, Northrop houses 80 students, most of whom live in singles. Behind the leaded glass windows framing the front door, the spacious living room, with a fireplace, and the TV room provide common areas for leisurely conversation and lounging.

      Northrop is at the top of the hill leading to town, making diversions into downtown Northampton easy. Because the Five College bus stop is directly across the street, residents the can wait for the bus in the comfort of their own living room.

      Upon completion, Northrop was described as the "pride and joy of the college." It is a proud honor to its namesake who, following graduation from Yale in 1841 and Yale Divinity School in 1845, was commissioner of education of both Massachusetts and Connecticut, pastor of a Saxonville church for 10 years, a promoter of improved education for Southern black youths, a civilian intermediary between the U.S. and Japan, the founder of National Arbor Day and a well-respected writer and lecturer.

      Although "strange tales are told of the early inhabitants of this house," today, as in 1910, "it has gathered under its roof an exceptional and unique group of students."

   6. Gillett House

      Gillett House is a beautiful four-and-a half-story, ivy-covered brick building on the comer of Elm and Prospect Streets. Directly across Elm Street is the Five College bus stop and John M. Greene Hall, where most all-college functions occur.

      Gillett is connected by a covered portico to Northrop House, Gillett’s mirror image. Built in 1911, Gillett House is named for Edward Gillett, one of the first trustees of Smith and an energetic supporter of women’s education and of Smith College.

      A fireplace and grand piano distinguish the living room. Furnished with couches and chairs, the living room is often the gathering space for conversation among overachieving procrastinators.

      Many pairs of single rooms are joined by a common entryway that leads into the hall through one door; these rooms are called "suites." While most first-year students in Gillett will have a single, many will have the opportunity to have a "suitemate" instead of a "roommate."

   7. Lamont House

      Lamont residents agree that the Prospect Street location of the house is ideal. It is near the Campus Center, where students can go to get a quick bite to eat or attend an event, and it takes only a few minutes to walk to the classrooms and administrative buildings on the central campus.

      In addition, downtown Northampton, with its many shops and restaurants, is only a five-minute walk.

      Lamont was named after a loyal alumna, Florence Corliss Lamont. She received her bachelor's degree from Smith in 1893 and eventually earned a master’s in philosophy from Columbia University.

      Lamont House is one of the newer houses on campus. Built in 1955, it was the first house to be constructed by the college after the quad houses were completed in 1936.

      In 1994, renovations brought a new dining room to the back of Lamont House. The room, designed by Livermore and Edwards, enjoys exceptional light with its many-paned windows. The dining room's octagonal shape ties traditional and modern architectural ideas.

   8. Talbot House

      Located on Prospect Street, Talbot House is close to the Campus Center (convenient for late-night snacks) and is a short walk to libraries, classrooms and administrative buildings. Downtown Northampton, with its many shops and restaurants, is only a 10-minute walk.

      Built in 1909, Talbot House was originally part of the Capen School, a private school run by Miss Bessie Capen in the early 1900s. The house became a Smith College residence when Smith acquired the Capen School property in 1921.

      The house has a cozy living room, where housemates gather to socialize, and a study room.

      Talbot House has the distinction of being the home of a moose. He’s of the stuffed variety and serves as the house mascot.