Campus Housing Options
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The Office of Residential Life and Housing offers our residential students a variety of experiential learning opportunities to support their academic, social, and personal success.
All students are required to live in college housing through their senior year.
VIRTUAL TOURS OF RESIDENCE HALLS
Select an option to virtually tour through each housing space. Learn important information about the residence hall/area, and utilize the built-in tools to measure anything in the room space. Please note: room spaces may vary based on room location in the residence hall/area.
Day Apartment Community
First Year Housing
First Year students occupy the heart of Hartwick’s campus: Saxton, Wilder, and Holmes Halls. These residence halls are centrally-located, close to Campbell Fitness, Table Rock Cafe, the Commons, and Campus Safety.
Holmes Hall
About Holmes Hall
Holmes Hall is a corridor-style building comprised of single, double, and triple rooms. This building has two single-gendered floors and two gender-inclusive floors. Two large lounges, one with a kitchen and one created for study, give Holmes residents plenty of space to spread out beyond their room. A laundry room is located on the first floor. Resident Advisors live in the residence hall to help support and foster a safe, positive, and engaging community.
Fun & Historical Facts
Originally a dormitory for women, construction on Holmes Hall was completed in 1961. It was made possible by a gift of the late John D. Holmes of Richmondville, New York, in memory of his wife, Edith Fraser Holmes.
When the Living Learning Center Program began in the Fall of 1973, Holmes Hall had 49 students, including freshman and 22 upper-class student, and was co-educational by alternate floors. The first and fourth floors housed first-year students not in the Living Learning Center Program.
Students in the Living Learning Center Program took classes together, and their classrooms — as well as the offices of faculty who were teaching them — were in the residence hall. The program was intended to increase contact between faculty and students and to foster informal discussion of course content.
Saxton Hall
About Saxton Hall
Saxton Hall is a corridor-style building, co-ed, comprised of single, double, and triple rooms with a 200-student capacity. Saxton has a lounge on each floor, and a laundry room and kitchen area on the first floor. Conveniently located next to Anderson Center for the Arts and Dewar Union, with a shared volleyball court outside, Saxton Hall is a student favorite for those who want to be near the action! One professional staff member and Resident Advisors live in the building to help support and foster a safe, positive and engaging community.
Fun & Historical Facts
Seneca Hall opened in the Fall of 1966. It was renamed Saxton in memory of Andrew B. Saxton of Oneonta through the generosity of his daughter, Anna Bernice Saxton ’40, a Hartwick alumna.
Wilder Hall
About Wilder Hall
Named after former President of Hartwick College, Dr. Philip S. Wilder, Jr., this co-ed, corridor-style building features super single and double rooms. There is TV lounge, laundry room, and kitchen located on the first floor, with several study lounges on each floor. A shared sand volleyball court outside connects this residence hall to Saxton Hall.
Fun & Historical Facts
Wilder Hall was originally named Alumni Hall and was dedicated on Alumni Day, June 1, 1963. Alumni Hall housed 172 women and was furnished by the Alumni Association. In 1963, a desk cost $64, a chair $11, and a mattress $19. Paint colors included confetti yellow, medallion gold, mocha brown, spruce green, desert beige and lagoon blue. The Construction of Alumni Hall cost $550,000.
Alumni Hall was renamed Wilder Hall in 1999 in honor of President Dr. Philip S. Wilder, Jr., and Barbara Wilder, who served the College from 1977 to 1992. Under President Wilder, the College was characterized by the strengthening of its faculty and student body, and by the building of strong financial support.
Sophomore & Junior Housing
Juniors and Sophomore students are offered a variety of living arrangements at Hartwick.
Smith Hall
About Smith Hall
Smith Hall is a corridor-style building with primarily double rooms, with the capacity to house 224 students. It offers study and social lounges and community-styled learning floors for residents to become friends while living in an academically stimulating environment. There are two wings, Charlotte side and Charles side, which are connected on the 1st and 2nd floors only. Laundry and kitchen are available on the 1st floor of Smith Hall, along with the Nursing simulation lab. A large social lounge is available on the 2nd floor of the building, along with a separate lounge for studying or hanging with a more intimate group.
Fun & Historical Facts
Originally East Hall, a men’s dormitory, construction was completed in 1964. Renamed Smith Hall in memory of Charles and Charlotte Smith of Oneonta, it housed men in one wing and women in the other. This was considered somewhat daring in those days, though the old Hartwick Seminary had a similar arrangement nearly a century before.
In 1970, the Third Annual Art Show at Smith Hall took place. There were four main categories – oils and acrylics, watercolors, photography, and sculpture. Hilltops, December 15, 1970
van Ess Hall
About van Ess Hall
“To live in van Ess, is to love van Ess.” This residence hall in the middle of campus. A laundry room is located on the first floor and a TV lounge/kitchen space make it easy for residents to cook and mingle with each other outside of their rooms. Resident Advisors live in this residence hall to help support and foster a safe, positive, and engaging community.
Fun & Historical Facts
South Hall dormitory for men, completed in 1962, was renamed van Ess in memory of Dr. Louis van Ess, former associate professor of history at Hartwick, and pastor of St. James Episcopal Church.
Oyaron House
About Oyaron House
Built in 1995, Oyaron House is comprised of single, double, and triple room options. This co-ed, corridor-style residence hall. There are study cubicles on the fourth floor, plus a laundry room, TV lounge, and kitchenette on the first floor. Additionally, there are several social lounges for students to connect with each other and make new friends. In the warmer months, residents frequent the beautiful outdoor space. Resident Advisors live in the building to help support and foster a safe, positive and engaging community.
Fun & Historical Facts
Oyaron House was built in 1995 and is the “sister” residence hall to Hilltop House. Students were very involved in the planning and got to pick everything from carpets to door tags. When they opened, 229 students lived in Hilltop and Oyaron Houses, which were called New Res I and New Res II until formally named for the hillside landscape that surrounds them. A faculty member filled a Faculty-in-Residence position serving both Hilltop and Oyaron.
Hilltop House
About Hilltop House
Built in 1995, Hilltop House is a corridor-style building comprised of single, double, and triple rooms.
There are study cubicles located on the fourth floor, a laundry room, TV lounge and kitchenette on the first floor, as well as several social lounges for students to connect outside the classroom. In the warmer months, residents frequent the beautiful outdoor space. An Area Coordinator and Resident Advisors live in the building to help support and foster a safe, positive and engaging community.
Fun & Historical Facts
Hilltop House was built in 1995 and is the “sister” residence hall to Oyaron House. Students were very involved in the planning and got to pick everything from carpets to door tags. When they opened, 229 students lived in Hilltop and Oyaron Houses, which were called New Res I and New Res II until formally named for the hillside landscape that surrounds them. A faculty member filled a Faculty-in-Residence position serving both Hilltop and Oyaron.
Independent Living
Upperclassmen students are offered a variety of living arrangements at Hartwick.
The Day Apartment Community
About the Day Apartment Community
This 31,000 square foot facility, opened in Fall 2017, was designed to give upper-class students the opportunity to feel independent while still enjoying the convenience of living on campus! The Day Apartments house 72 students and feature two-and-four bedroom apartment options. Each apartment is independently climate controlled with central heat and air, and equipped with a full kitchen and a bathroom for every two students in each unit. There is a laundry facility in the building as well as a wide front porch with rocking chairs that overlook the picturesque Susquehanna River Valley. Several community and meeting spaces with an additional outside green space make the apartments a great place to be!
Fun & Historical Facts
This is the newest residence hall to open on Hartwick’s campus. When the building opened in 2017, it was known simply as “the Apartments”. In 2023, the Apartments found its identity as the Day Apartments, named after Judith Day, the beloved late wife of Trustee Raymond “Larry” Miller ’73. The new name and associated mural were unveiled during Miller’s Golden Jubilee (50th Class Reunion).
Townhouse Community
About the Townhouse Community
Named in honor of former President Miller Ritchie, the Ritchie Quad was dedicated in October 1986 and was built to house 80 students in 20 townhouses. Since 1986, the Richie Quad Townhouses have offered townhouse living options for upper-class residents looking for additional independence with the convenience of living near classes and friends. Each townhouse has a full kitchen, living room, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms. A nearby laundry facility makes it easy for residents in the Townhouses to accomplish this task while connecting with other residents.
Fun & Historical Facts
The idea of the Townhouses is to duplicate, as far as possible, the atmosphere of living downtown. As rising Seniors select into their housing first, we often see the Townhouses filled with Seniors (and maybe a few Juniors).
Leitzell Hall
About Leitzell Hall
Named after former President of the Board of Trustees Charles W. Leitzell, Leitzell Hall is a four-person suite-style building, comprised of four-person suites housing a total of 76 students. Each air-conditioned suite consists of two or three bedrooms, one bathroom, and a common area. Additionally, it offers a TV lounge, laundry room, and kitchen area on the first floor. Resident Advisors live in Leitzell to help support and foster a safe, positive, and engaging community among the students who live there.
Fun & Historical Facts
The original Leitzell Hall burned down in 1958. The new dormitory was completed that same year, and dedicated on October 3. Hilltops, Sept. 19, 1958
In 1973, when plans were announced to change Leitzell from an all male dormitory to an all female dormitory, residents (known as the “Leitzell Animals”) placed their stereo speakers in the windows pointing toward the valley, and at midnight played them at full blast in protest. They were heard as far away as Wilbur Park. Hilltops, April 19 & May 3, 1973
Pine Lake
About Pine Lake
Students can live in and learn from a primarily natural setting. Pine Lake is a place where challenge, reflection, and recreation can lead to personal renewal, growth, appreciation of nature, and responsible environmental stewardship. If you like the outdoors and living in a natural setting, Pine Lake is for you!
Students residing at Pine Lake Campus, may not be under College disciplinary sanction and should be in good academic standing (GPA greater than 2.25) and must also provide their own transportation.
Fun & Historical Facts
Pine Lake provides Hartwick students with opportunities for hands-on research, academic study, and self-discovery. Students can live in and learn in a natural setting, with several rustic and sustainably-built lodging options. It’s a place to learn about the natural environment, the history of human land use, and much more. Pine Lake continues to provide a place where challenge, reflection, and recreation lead to personal renewal and growth, an appreciation of nature, and responsible environmental stewardship.
Gender Inclusive Housing
Hartwick College strives to create a comfortable, gender-inclusive living environment for students of all gender identities. Gender-inclusive housing is an environment where student housing is not restricted to traditional limitations of the gender binary (male/female). Gender Inclusive housing developed to better provide a supportive environment where all residents can feel safe in their housing assignments with respect to their gender identity and gender expression. If you have questions or concerns about your gender-inclusive housing experience, please reach out to the Director and/or Associate Director of Residential Life & Housing.
First Year Students
Students can indicate gender identity on their housing application. Students who indicate they are non-binary, transgender, or indicate they are comfortable living in a mixed gender room will have conversations with professional staff in the Office of Residential Life and Housing to determine a roommate match. First-year students are only assigned to gender-inclusive spaces when requested. All students who consider themselves supportive of or a member of the LGBTQAI+ community, and are comfortable having a roommate of any gender identity or expression are eligible for this housing option.
Upperclassmen Students
Hartwick offers a gender inclusive floor in one of our residence halls on campus. Students can pick the roommates of their choosing, regardless of gender, when selecting suites or doubles. All multi-stall bathrooms in regular corridors are designated by gender. Bathrooms in suites and apartments are gender inclusive.
For upper-class students assigned after the selection process, we communicate with the students of the suite and the student moving in to make sure everyone is comfortable with the situation before assigning someone to a mixed gender suite. We do not assign students to mixed gender doubles.
Questions About Gender-Inclusive Housing?
If you have questions or concerns about your gender-inclusive housing experience, please reach out to the Director and/or Associate Director of Residential Life & Housing.
Theme Communities
Theme Communities offers students an opportunity to live and learn with peers who share a passion area or a lived experience. Intentionally creating small communities on one floor within a larger residence hall allows students to quickly develop life-long friendships. Theme community offering is based on student interest.
Hartwick is supportive of LGBTQ & Ally students. This community intentionally allows for students who are LGBTQ-friendly to live together in a positive, supportive community. In addition to creating a safe space for students of all identities, this theme community embraces honest dialogue about gender, gender expression, sexuality, and interpersonal relationships as a means toward self-awareness. This community offers gender-inclusive housing and restrooms.
Honors housing provides students with a special experience by fusing residence hall living with honors learning, and provides a stimulating intellectual and social atmosphere for you to enjoy. Students must be in the Honors Program in good standing, or be the roommate of a student in the Honors Program.
The Nursing community serves as a support network for Nursing majors. The community provides residents with academic support, increased level of contact with faculty/staff, a close social network, and information about the Nursing program and profession.
Residential Life & Housing
4th Floor, Dewar Hall
Hartwick College
Oneonta, NY 13820
607-431-4501
[email protected]