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Chapin occupies what
has been called the geographic center of the campus. This
central location makes Chapin only a minute away from most
academic buildings, a fact that Chapinites are especially
thankful for on the mornings they have early classes.
Chapin overlooks the gardens
of the Lyman Plant House, the playing fields and Paradise
Pond, which is responsible for the house motto, "Living
on the Edge of Paradise." When the weather is nice,
Chapin Lawn is the site of Frisbee and other activities or
a place to throw down a blanket and enjoy the sun. Residents
often sit and chat on the huge porch overlooking Chapin Lawn.
Inside Chapin, a striking staircase
is the first sight to catch one's eye. In fact, it has been
said that Chapin's staircase served as the inspiration for
the staircase of Scarlett O'Hara's Tara in Gone With
the Wind, since the novel's author, Margaret Mitchell,
was a proud Chapinite while at Smith.
To the left of the staircase is the living room where Chapin residents gather to watch television or play the piano. Of note is Chapin's traditional spring semi-formal "Black and White," in which the entire first floor of the house is decorated in (what else?) black and white.
Other Chapin House traditions include a Halloween party put on by the first years, house subscriptions to the Boston Globe and The
New York Times, a friendly rivalry with Capen House, and the Big Sister/Little
Sister program.
Upstairs, 36 single rooms and 17 double rooms house the 70 students in this 100-year-old house.
In the summer of 1996 Chapin
was completely renovated with new bathrooms, new carpeting,
a new heating system and a new laundry room. The wood floors
were refinished and a ramp for handicapped accessibility
was built onto the porch.
Chapin House / Kathleen Crowe '99 |
