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 The site on which Parsons House now stands is laden with local history. The land is said to have been purchased by Conet Joseph Parsons from Native Americans in 1645, before the first settlement of Northampton. The property served as the home for two generations of the Parsons family before it was acquired by Miss Bessie Capen, who built a house -- which she dubbed Faunce House -- as a dormitory, library, and recitation hall for her school, the Capen School, in the early 1900s. Smith College acquired the property in 1921 and the house, renamed after the old Northampton family, has served as a Smith residence since that time. Today, Parsons House is home to 46 Smith students; 22 residents have their own rooms, while 12 share doubles. Parsons Annex, an adjunct to Parsons House, has been part of its Round Hill neighborhood for more than a century and still reflects the quality of old Northampton. It was purchased by the college in 1968. It is home to 18 students in 5 double rooms and 8 single rooms. Parsons and Parsons Annex function as a unit, holding joint social events, for example, fielding joint intramural teams and electing one set of house officers.
 The Annex's two living rooms often
serve as quiet study areas and frequently play host to
cocktail parties during Winter and Spring Weekends. In
addition to house parties and get-togethers,
Parsons Complex has several of its own unique traditions.
For example, after the house Halloween Party, Parsonites
(still in costume) walk to Neilson Library and distribute
candy to the poor souls studying there.
Parsons Complex
is home to members of all four classes and often an Ada Comstock
Scholar or two. Its location removes
it from the noise and bustle of center campus, though it
is only a 10- to 15-minute walk to academic buildings and
downtown Northampton.
Parsons Annex underwent a complete
renovation in 2001. The interior reconfiguration included
new finishes
throughout,
egress improvements, new fire separation doors
and a complete renovation of the house bathrooms. Modifications
for accessibility included an accessible entrance, a fully
accessible first floor and barrier free access to all first
floor public spaces in the building.
Parsons House / Kathleen Crowe '99 |
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