Hill College House

Building Description

Hill is a vibrant residential community with a special commitment to first-year students and is the College House with the highest concentration of freshmen- over 90 percent. They are joined by an energetic group of upperclass students who eagerly choose to live in Hill. It is ideally located near major academic buildings, libraries, retail shops, and athletic fields. It also has its own dining facility. Hill is equipped with a fully functional pottery studio and a comfortable library with wireless connections throughout the building. Upper East Lounge is a popular social space equipped with a grand piano for staging cultural and musical programs spearheaded by the Faculty Master and House Music Fellow.

While Hill's facilities are extensive, students are primarily drawn to its community atmosphere. The House architecture encourages smaller communities on each floor called suites. The "suite life" offers lively student interaction and friendly competition in athletics, games and the arts. There are a total of 17 suites, each with about 20-40 students and a Graduate Associate.

Hill is proud to be a self-sufficient, student-run House. The Manager Board consists of upperclass students who are charged with overseeing the major operations and activities within the House. First year students are presented with many opportunities to take part in the day to day operation and can have a significant influence in the House by taking on leadership roles in the House Council, the Judicial Committee, the Events Committee and the Budget Committee. Likewise, student committees organize community service programs and excursions to New York City, Washington, D.C., and all the famous Philadelphia sites. Theatre, orchestra, and ballet tickets are plentiful. Especially popular are the Majors Dinners that allow students to explore a multitude of academic interests. Guest speakers, such as Governor Ed Rendell and prominent faculty, have dined with students in The Gallery, Hill's private dining room.

History

Hill College House is an internationally recognized architectural landmark. It was designed in 1958 by Eero Saarinen, who designed, among other buildings, the St. Louis Arch, the Kennedy Airport in New York and Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C. Hill's rough brick surfaces and medieval appearance, complete with "drawbridge," reflect Saarinen's rejection of the Machine Age aesthetic adopted by earlier twentieth-century architects.

The living spaces in Hill are built around a spacious atrium which overlooks the Dining Commons and is surrounded by sixteen suite lounges which look out over the central court.

In 1965, it was renamed to honor Robert C. Hill, a Wharton graduate (Class of 1889) and Penn trustee, whose generous bequest led to the purchase of the land on which Hill College House now stands.

In 1978, Hill House became the home of N.C. Wyeth’s painting "An Apotheosis of Franklin." It was originally painted in 1925 for the Franklin Savings Bank in New York City; today it covers 480 square feet of the court’s south wall. The 'Apotheosis' depicts the founder of the University of Pennsylvania, Benjamin Franklin, with nineteen other historic figures in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

Hill was originally designed to be a women's dormitory. The drawbridge, moat, and spiked-fence motif outside was intended to keep men out. Today, Hill is co-ed and with almost 500 residents, it is one of Penn's largest college houses.

Historically, Hill College House has always been a student-run house. It is known for its diverse population, abundant facilities, active social environment, and close community.