Winthrop House

As part of our Housing Market series, we'll be posting reviews and rankings for each of Harvard's 12 residential Houses over the next few days. Click here to read more about the series.

Named after not just one, but two famous men—the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and his descendant, who served as a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy and, more importantly, as president of the University—John Winthrop House consists of two buildings dating from 1914. Despite Winthrop's subpar housing, the House boasts a high level of House spirit, a tightly-knit community, and several impressive, if underused, social spaces.

House Spirit: While Winthrop did not top the polls in terms of House spirit (in fact, it was in twelfth place), their massive intramural turnout seems to tell a different story. Winthrop is widely acknowledged as a force to be reckoned with in intramural sports, and House residents say this helps build a solid sense of community in the House. 'Throppers use the phrase "lions give me five," or "fivepeat," which reference Winthrop's IM "domination" and House spirit.

Housing Quality: Winthrop certainly has a reputation for bad housing, and many residents complain about the lack of n+1 housing. If you thought you were done with bunk beds after freshman year, Winthrop will tell you to think again. Some residents, however, report that housing is "not all bad" and several praised the "enormous senior suites." Although Winthrop does not offer the best chances for singles to its residents, with a little luck, it's possible to receive a rooming set up that is "pretty sweet." All in all, Winthrop received a rating of 11 out of 12 in the housing-specific poll.

Dining Hall: Despite complaints about housing, Winthrop residents praise the dining hall for its convenience and central location. They also extol the dining hall's "cozy" atmosphere, replete with wooden tables and a slightly subdued noise level compared to other river dining halls. Though only seasonally relevant, residents also cited the virtues of their outdoor patio which, during good weather, is a great place to eat and enjoy "killer river views." One commenter, in response to the question about what makes Winthrop a good House, simply wrote: "The Sunday brunch bacon."

Facilities: Some 'Throppers complained about the "lack of common rooms" available in the House, but others praised the variety of exciting, if underused, social options. Winthrop offers a tire swing, three courtyards, and an exciting speaker series that allows students to hear from interesting lecturers such as Paul Farmer. Students added that the great tutors, the resident dean,  and House Masters "enliven every aspect of the house."

Rating: Winthrop has moved up in the rankings this year, though housing seems to be the limiting factor in its ascent. Although Winthrop may be criticized by much of the Harvard community, many of those who live within its walls claim that the House community and strong House pride more than make up for the potentially limited housing options. As one resident wrote, "Winthrop basically has it all—the best house spirit, the best location, the best house staff/tutors, the best IMs, and the best students." Overall, Winthrop House ranked tenth out of 12.

Our rankings so far:

10. Winthrop

11. Cabot

12. Dunster