Stoughton and Hollis, the almost identical North Yard dorms, offer one huge room for two people. Hollis and Stoughton roommates either become bosom buddies fast or spend the year aching to slit each other's throats. In any case, they get to know each other well.
Tucked away behind these tow dorms are small, oft-forgotten Mower and Lionel. Only about 70 people live back here in the secluded, re-landscaped courtyard. Lionel and Mower suites have large common rooms with beautiful wood floors, and most residents live in singles for part of the year. Some residents of these intimate dorms say the close-knit experience is nurturing and caring. Others complain that the family atmosphere can grow a bit too suffocating.
Wigglesworth, the Yard's most oddly shaped dorm, consists of several unconnected sections strung out along busy Mass. Ave. Wigglesworth residents may never meet the students in their neighboring entries. If the dorm lacks cohesiveness, however, it scores high points for quality of living. Its spacious triple and quadruple suites have a close-up view of lively street activity, and traffic quiets down late at night so residents can sleep. Wigg is also the most recently renovated first-year dorm.
Straus, hidden in the Yard's leafy southwest corner, is the second-youngest dorm in the Yard. Straus' smallish but nice quad suites contain private bathrooms.
Weld has a funky, castle-like trim on the outside and large, social hallways on the inside. The dorm, which underwent a massive renovation in 1992, was the first Yard dorm to be fully handicapped-accessible.
Matthew's Gothic exterior resembles Less history--but sometimes more fun--awaitsthe residents of the Union dorms. Located just afew feet behind what used to be the first-yeardining hall, these dorms are converted apartmentbuildings with reputations for wildness. Pennypacker's central circular staircase is agreat place for congregating. And people do.Bright landings of "The Pack" are full of peopleat all hours, and a four story beer funnel makesand appearance on its open stairwell once a yearor so. Pennypacker's rooms are not massive, buttheir quirky shapes offer a change of pace fromthe standard Yard dorms. Hurlbut residents--who call their dorm "theButt"--live in "pods;" huge circular common roomswith singles branching off of them. Most ofHurlbut's oddly-shaped rooms are comfortable andin good repair. Unlike the other first-year residences,Greenough feels much like a "typical" collegedorm. Long narrow hallways, tiny boxy rooms andcommunal bathrooms are the norm here. Students at other colleges, most of whom livein minuscule two-person boxes with cinder blockwalls and linoleum floors tend to get jealous whenthey see pictures of elegant Harvard quarters. Andwith good reason. Harvard's dorms have somedrawbacks, of course; students need to develop thestamina to climb stairs and a high tolerance forold architecture. But a housing system thatinvolves working fire-places, wooden floors,spacious rooms and beautiful landscaping isn'tsuch a bad start to a Harvard career.