Apley Court

Apley Court, built in 1897 and home to 30 first-year students, was once home to T.S. Eliot, who allegedly hid poems in the walls. Highlights of living in Apley include: 

• Apley has a marble staircase, hardwood floors, high ceilings, and in-suite bathrooms.
• Room configurations in Apley consist of singles, doubles, and triples. 
• One of the smallest first-year dorms, which fosters “the best sense of community of any dorm.”
• Close to: the Smith Campus Center, the Malkin Athletic Center, and great food options such as Insomnia Cookies, El Jefe's Taqueria, and Tasty Burger.

Hollis

Built in 1763 and housing 60 first-year students, Hollis is one of the oldest buildings at Harvard College. Famous residents include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Jim Cramer and General George Washington’s troops during the American War for Independence. Highlights of living in Hollis include:

• Two vertical entryways that contribute to a very tight-knit community.
• Room configurations include spacious, wood-paneled, single-room doubles with common bathrooms.
• Close to Harvard Yard, Sever, Robinson, and Emerson Halls, the Science Center and Annenberg.

Holworthy

Holworthy, built in 1812 and home to 84 first-year students, is named after Sir Matthew Holworthy, who gave 1,000 Pounds Sterling to Harvard in 1678. Famous residents include Horatio Alger and Conan O’ Brian. Highlights of living in Hollis include:

• Three vertical entryways that maintain strong floor communities and have sweeping views of Harvard Yard.
• Room configurations include: quads with two bedrooms and a common room, with a shared bathroom with the suite next door. 
• The First-Year Arts Room is located in the Holworthy basement, where you can find a great place to relax and utilize a variety of arts and crafts supplies.
• Close to: Harvard Yard, Annenberg Dining Hall and the Science Center. Holworthy is also right on the University Plaza, which hosts a weekly Farmer's Market as well as pop-up concerts, food trucks, and lawn games.

Lionel

Lionel, located in Harvard Yard, is home to 35 students, and serves as a memorial to Lionel de Jersey, the only relative of John Harvard to attend Harvard. Highlights of living in Lionel include: 

• Being a member of a small tight-knit community consisting of two vertical entryways in a quaint setting. 
• Room configurations include suites of triplets and quads, all of which have in-suite bathrooms.
• Lionel also shares its own courtyard with Mower, which offers some peaceful seclusion from the rest of Harvard Yard.
• Close to: Harvard Yard, classrooms in the Science Center, Annenberg Dining Hall, and Harvard Square shops such as CVS, OTTO Pizza, and Border Cafe.

Massachusetts Hall

Massachusetts Hall, known colloquially as “Mass Hall,” is the oldest surviving building at Harvard and the country’s oldest dormitory. Constructed between 1718 and 1720 by former Harvard Presidents John Leverett and Benjamin Wadsworth, the building served as a refuge for American soldiers during the siege of Boston, as an observatory when Thomas Hollis donated a telescope to the University in 1722, and now is a first-year dorm and home to the University President's Office. Highlights of living in Mass Hall include: 

• Participating in a small, close-knit community of 14 first-year students every year.
• Room configurations include doubles and singles on the fourth floor.
• Close to: Johnston Gate, CVS and Harvard Square; and classroom spaces in Harvard Yard, including historic Harvard Hall.

Mower

Mower (rhymes with "flower"), an architectural mirror image of next-door Lionel Hall, houses 35 first-year students. It was once home to Al Gore, Tommy Lee Jones, and Al Franken. Highlights of living in Mower include: 

• A small close-knit community organized around two vertical entryways.
• Room configurations include suites of triplets and quads, all of which have in-suite bathrooms and “cute, quaint, airy, and light-filled rooms.”
• Mower looks out onto its own courtyard, making for a peaceful respite from the crowd of tourists that often roam through Harvard Yard.
• Close to: Harvard’s hub for public service, Phillips Brooks House, classrooms in the Science Center and Holden Chapel, and shops in Harvard Square such as CVS, OTTO Pizza, and Starbucks.

Stoughton

Stoughton, built in 1805, was the second building to bear that name at Harvard. The original dormitory was built in 1700 and funded by Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor William Stoughton who presided over the Salem Witch Trials. Highlights of living in Stoughton include: 

• According to one prior resident, "Stoughton combines the comfort of a bedroom with the spacious luxury of a living room."
• Room configurations include large single-room doubles with common bathrooms.
• Close to: Harvard Yard, the Science Center and Annenberg Dining Hall. and Johnston Gate;  CVS and other Harvard Square shops.

Straus

Built in 1926 by three brothers to memorialize their parents, Isidor and Ida, who had died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic, Straus Hall boasts a central location near the heart of Harvard Yard. Highlights of living in Straus include: 

• Straus’ relatively small vertical entryways of approximately 25 students, which makes meeting new people and making friends easy.
• Room configurations include suites of quads, with some doubles and triples. Straus boasts in-suite bathrooms and hardwood floors.
• Straus also contains a stately common room with ornate wood-paneled walls, equipped with an Xbox.
• Close to: Harvard Square with CVS and other shops convenient and Café Gato Rojo, a wonderful spot for chatting or studying over a cup of coffee.