Residential Buildings

Students walk on the sidewalk towards Story House.

The central focal point for the newly established Claremont Undergraduate School for Men was the Bixby Smith estate, located east of Amherst Avenue and north of Sixth Street. The estate included a three-story Craftsman house built in the early 1900s that was home to author and poet Sarah Bixby Smith and her husband, Paul Jordan-Smith, literary editor of the Los Angeles Times. In the years following the Smith family’s departure from Claremont, the house served as a faculty club and was later leased to the Girls Collegiate School, before ultimately being transformed into a dormitory for nonveteran students and serving as a common room and dining facility for the entire CMC student body. Renamed Story House in honor of the late Russell Story, president of Claremont Colleges, the mansion was the College's only permanent building for its first year and a half. In 1947, to accommodate a growing student body, a wing was built on the north side of Story House, which added a larger kitchen, serving area, and north dining room. These facilities were used from 1947 to 1957 and, while they grew increasingly inadequate, Story House provided the College its sole dining hall during its first decade.

Students stand outside of the veterans housing units on the early CMC campus, circa 1947.

First among the additions to the School for Men’s campus were the veterans’ residential units, available for occupancy in January 1947. While the structures were temporary–surplus housing units of either wood or steel, 50 x 100 feet–they helped house sixty men and furnished facilities sorely needed during the first few years of the College’s development. Additional housing units later were secured from the California State Housing Agency to help provide supplemental living facilities for the next two years.

CMC's first permanent dormitory, Appleby Hall.

By the winter of the College’s first year, dormitories were a pressing priority and President Benson, Robert Bernard, and Gerald Jordan soon began discussions with the Los Angeles-based architectural firm Allison and Rible on designs for CMC’s first permanent dormitory–which became a prototype for three subsequent dormitories. The firm submitted plans for a 15,680 square foot Monterey Colonial-style building that allowed direct access to thirty-two bedrooms (two students to a room) from either a ground-level gallery or a second-story covered balcony. Open-air access to the rooms was a cost-effective strategy and provided each student with a vivid and immediate view of the San Gabriel Mountains or the Pomona Valley. Working closely with Allison and Rible on building details, President Benson and the trustee building committee approved the dormitory plans and worked on details for three additional halls to be constructed to complete a four-dormitory quadrangle. Funding for CMC’s first dormitory came from an inadvertent donor in Mrs. Jerene Appleby Harnish. Mrs. Harnish initially gave a $75,000 endowment to the College in honor of her late first husband, Frank Bell Appleby, to support scholarship students from Thailand. However, Benson and the Board of Trustees negotiated an agreement with Mrs. Harnish to borrow against these funds for dormitory construction, and the building was given the name Appleby Hall in his honor. Construction on Appleby Hall commenced in early 1947, and the building was available for student use by November 1947. Appleby Hall was crucial for creating an image of future development at the young college and was officially dedicated on June 5, 1948. In 2003, Appleby Hall was renovated to include the addition of a new pavilion with one additional suite and an expanded lounge and laundry room. Renovations were funded by longtime CMC economics professor Arthur Kemp and his wife, Helene Kemp.

Green Hall with the snowcapped San Gabriel Mountains in the background.

Part of CMC’s four-dormitory quadrangle (North Quad), Green Hall was the College’s second dormitory. To take advantage of construction equipment already on site, CMC trustees approved plans for the second dormitory using existing designs while Appleby Hall was still being finished. The 15,270 square foot dorm was completed in 1948 and named in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Green. Trustee P. G. Winnett, president of Bullock’s department stores, also made a major gift but did not want his name on the dorm, so the honor fell to building’s second-largest donors, the Greens. The lawn on the south side of Green Hall, nicknamed "Green Beach," is frequented on sunny days by students who wish to study outside with their peers while listening to music on the grass. In 2003, Green Hall was renovated to include the addition of a new pavilion with one additional suite and an expanded lounge and laundry room. Renovations were funded by John V. Croul '49.

A view of Boswell Hall shortly after its completion.

CMC’s third dormitory in the North Quad residential precinct was completed in 1949 and stands at 15,655 square feet. The dormitory was named after Colonel James Boswell, who was a major donor during the College’s early years–his foundation gave almost $200,000 in 1948 and 1949 for a Professorship of American Economic Institutions and for the new dormitory. In 1950, another gift from the Boswell Foundation allowed the College to acquire land east of Mills Avenue for the development of athletic fields. Renovations to Boswell Hall funded by the Boswell Foundation in 2003 saw the addition of a new pavilion with one additional suite and an expanded lounge and laundry room.

A view looking north at Wohlford Hall with Appleby Hall in the foreground to the left.

Wohlford Hall, CMC’s fourth dormitory, was constructed in 1950 and completed the College’s four-dormitory quadrangle with accommodations for 250 students between the four residential buildings in North Quad. Originally known as Claremont Hall, the building was renamed in honor founding CMC trustee Burnet C. Wohlford, and his wife, Mildred, in 1952. The construction of Wohlford Hall marked the end of the first wave of residential construction on campus and allowed the removal of the veterans’ units along Sixth Street. At 15,677 square feet, Wohlford Hall went through renovations in 2003 that saw the addition of a new pavilion with one additional suite and an expanded lounge and laundry room.

CMC's fifth dormitory and first in the Mid Quad residential precinct, Beckett Hall.

Beckett Hall, CMC’s fifth dormitory and first constructed in the Mid Quad residential precinct, opened in the fall of 1957 and housed fifty-three students. The two-story dormitory was the first to employ interior corridors in contrast to the outside balconies of the previous four dorms, but remained within the modernized Mediterranean architectural style of the developing CMC campus. The first dormitory to offer gender-neutral housing, Beckett Hall has gone through several renovations and alterations over the years including the demolition of the original “Beckett Cottage” apartment to allow for the expansion of Collins Dining Hall and the new Story House in 1994, and the addition of a new wing in 2015. Beckett Hall was named in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Garner Beckett–Mr. Beckett was the original chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Phillips Hall shortly after completion. An entrance to the faculty apartments can be seen on the left.

Built in 1961, CMC’s sixth dormitory was another building originally known as Claremont Hall, holding the name from 1961 to 1968. At 13,286 square feet and designed by Alison and Rible, the two-story residence hall in Mid Quad was built with single and double rooms and two faculty apartments. The dormitory was renamed Phillips Hall for the 1968-69 academic year in honor of CMC trustees Mr. and Mrs. M. Penn Phillips. The Ryal Residential Computer Lab named in honor of Ryal R. Poppa '57 GP'08 was added at the north end of Phillips Hall converted from the faculty apartments and one student room.

A view of Berger Hall looking across Badgley Garden.

Completed in 1962, Mid Quad’s Berger Hall became CMC’s seventh dormitory. Also designed by Allison and Rible in a minimalist-modern Mediterranean style, the building is 17,528 square feet and features both single and double rooms. The dormitory was named in honor of Mr. and Mrs. H. Norwood Berger P’60– Norwood Berger served as vice chairman of the CMC Board of Trustees and Frances Berger was an officer of the Mothers’ Club and subsequent honorary trustee.

Benson Hall surrounded by trees.

Originally constructed in 1963, the 17,928-square-foot Benson Hall was built with gifts and pledges covering $175,000 of its $400,000 total cost and was temporarily named Live Oak Hall pending the raising of funds to retire the debt on the building. The Mid Quad dormitory was renamed in honor of George C. S. Benson and Mabel Gibberd Benson in recognition of their services to the College since its founding in 1946. Benson Hall was completely renovated in 2015.

Marks Hall was the first dormitory to move away from the Mediterranean architectural style of the earlier dormitories and featured floor-to-ceiling glass in all rooms with a northern exposure.

The David X. Marks Residence Hall was ready for occupancy in October 1964 and was built with both single and double rooms. In a departure from the Allison and Rible-designed Mediterranean style of the earlier dormitories, the three-story hall in Mid Quad was designed by John H. Van Dyke and Associates of Los Angeles and featured a glass-enclosed stairway, wall-to-wall carpeting, and floor-to-ceiling glass in all rooms with a northern exposure. Marks Hall was completely air-conditioned and its 1,100-square-foot-glass-enclosed lounge looking out on Live Oak Garden expressed the affluent modernism of the 1960s. David X. Marks was a Los Angeles business executive who paid for $383,000 toward the total $439,000 cost of the building, helping to avoid the need for any long-term financing or borrowing from endowment. Marks Hall was completely renovated in 2015 to include additional rooms, a new lounge, an elevator, and music practice and rehearsal studios–known as “The Cave.”

A view looking south at Claremont (later Auen) and Fawcett Halls in 1968. Mills Avenue runs through the campus in the foreground. 

Jack Stark, then-assistant to President Benson, was instrumental in gaining approval for the construction of two new high-rise dormitories on campus, arguing before meetings with the Claremont Planning Commission. Designed by Ladd and Kelsey of Pasadena, the proposed eight-story dormitories represented a departure both for CMC and the City of Claremont. Stark argued that the high-rises were necessary to preserve open space and would help to break up the monotony of the rooflines of the existing dorms. After much debate, the Commission approved the two new dormitories. The buildings were to be financed in part by loans from endowment, supplemented by borrowing from the bank. The high-rise dormitories were constructed on the former south parking lot and completed in September 1967, marking the establishment of the South Quad residential precinct. Known as North and South Tower from 1967 to 1969, North Tower was renamed Fawcett Hall after Mr. and Mrs. W. Russell Fawcett P’66, who contributed $250,000 to the dormitory. South Tower, meanwhile, was designated as Claremont Hall, the holding name for the building awaiting a donor, and third residential building to hold the Claremont Hall moniker. The building would be known as Claremont Hall from 1969 to 1992, before being renamed Auen Hall in memory of her grandson R. N. Auen by honorary trustee Frances C. Berger P'60.

A building at The Apartments at Claremont Boulevard and Sixth Street. 

Primarily inhabited by upperclassmen, the Apartments are located on Claremont Boulevard and provide students with an opportunity to live on campus with a bit more freedom and space from the main campus. Originally organized as three clusters of apartments with two or three buildings in each cluster, the facility was expanded with a fourth building. Coveted amenities include a full kitchen in each apartment, a separate gated apartment parking lot, multiple laundry rooms, and an intramural basketball court.

Stark Hall is the most recent addition to CMC's South Quad residential precinct.

Constructed in 1997, Stark Hall is the third and most recent addition to the South Quad residential precinct, joining Fawcett and Auen Halls, both constructed in 1967. At 32,400 square feet, Stark Hall is the only dorm on campus that is explicitly "substance-free” and also houses the 24/7 South Campus Computer Lab and a piano for student use on the ground floor. Stark Hall was named in honor of Jil Harris Stark GP’11 and Jack L. Stark ’57 GP’11 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Stark presidency. Jack Stark served as CMC’s third president, from 1970 to 1999. Under their leadership, the Starks led the College to exceptional growth in reputation, academic quality, financial endowment, and student selectivity; and guided CMC through fundamental institutional changes, including becoming coeducational in 1976 and changing its name from Claremont Men's College to Claremont McKenna College in 1981.

Mid Quad's Crown Hall is CMC's newest dormitory and a Residential Architect Design Award recipient.

Built in 2009, Crown Hall is CMC’s newest dormitory and an award-winning, Silver LEED-certified project located in the Mid Quad residential precinct. Designed by CO Architects, Crown Hall represents sustainable architecture and design that enhance the experience of social living. Since its opening, the residence hall has been praised by students for its modern feel, high ceilings, natural lighting, wide and airy corridors, and generous interior and exterior spaces, as well as an ambiance that encourages productive work and study as well as social interaction. Crown Hall was the recipient of the 2009 Residential Architect Design Award, which was presented as part of a highly acclaimed annual residential design competition that draws applicants from around the country. Originally called Claremont Hall, the dormitory was renamed in February 2013 in honor of CMC Trustee A. Steve Crown '74 and his family.

Claremont Hall in 2017.

A recent addition in Mid Quad, Claremont Hall connects Berger Hall and Benson Hall. It houses additional dormitory rooms, an elevator and laundry facility, a spacious lounge, and Janie’s Kitchen, a unique student culinary space named for Jane (Parker) Valach ’82.