Blackwell House is known for its beautiful Victorian design and houses 32 William Smith students, in single, double, and triple bedrooms. First-year women are housed in the double and triple bedrooms, while upper-class women may live in single, double or triple bedrooms.
The building has a TV room, four bathrooms (two on first floor, one on the second and one on the third), a kitchen, vending machines and laundry facilities. All rooms are equipped with full telephone, cable and computer/Internet access.
Blackwell House was furnished with new beds for the fall of 1998 and renovated in 2004. In keeping with the original design, great effort has been made with the renovations to keep the Victorian look of the building, including staining all the wood a dark stain and insuring the doors and stairwells fit with the look of the building.
Built in 1863, Blackwell House was originally designed for William B. Douglas, a Hobart Trustee. In 1906, it became the first residence hall at William Smith College. The Douglas mansion was re-named Blackwell House after Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. She obtained her degree in 1849 from Geneva Medical College, which was re-named Hobart Free College in 1852.
Bedroom floor color: Blue carpet
Window treatment: Pull-down shades (white)
Bed style: Standard twin (39” x 75”) loftable units. Students over 6’3” tall may request extra-long beds.
