History:
Quincy House officially opened in 1959 and is one of the nine river houses. It is named after Josiah Quincy III, who was the President of Harvard from 1829 to 1845. Its official colors are red, gold, and black and its mascot is the penguin. Lee Gehrke and Deborah Gehrke are the current House Masters. Lee Gehrke is a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at Harvard Medical School. Famous alumni of the house include Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith, and Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh.
The Upside:
1) Location, Location, Location
Though Adams House has a reputation for being the best house location-wise since it is the closets to the yard, Quincy House is only one block down from Adams and so sits on prime real estate as well. It is only a short walk away from the Yard and classes and also very close to a row of various small convenience stores and restaurants. It sits on Mt. Auburn Street, and so is also quite close to the Garage and the Smith Center. It is also right next door to the Hillel.
2) Newly Renovated
Old Quincy was newly renovated and opened earlier this school year to incoming sophomores. It is the first fully renewed building in the House Renewal Project. The building is LEED Gold certified as environmentally friendly. Its large common spaces are tastefully decorated and color coordinated, which gives off a very chic feel. The green, pink, black and white decoration scheme gives the house a very modern and sleek feel. In the newly renovated Old Quincy, walk-through bedrooms have been eliminated, single bedrooms that cluster around common rooms quipped with sofas and TVs have been introduced, and ceiling fans and elevators have also been added in.
3) Quincy Grill
Yummy, yummy, yummy! The Quincy Grill is student-run and opens seven days a week. Here, you can find delicious late night snacks including mozzarella sticks, milkshakes, curly fries, chicken fingers or burgers. So much delicious, and perfect for a late night up while working on writing papers or finishing psets!
The Downside:
1) Only Old Quincy, named Stone Hall, has been renovated.
The rest of the house is still quite old and there is no guarantee that you’ll end up in the newly renovated rooms if you are sorted into Quincy.
2) Crowded
Perhaps its because of its reputation as the “people’s house,” Quincy’s dining hall is always extremely crowded. You can never be sure if someone you meet there is actually in your house or just a visiting guest. And it is definitely difficult to find a place to sit and quietly enjoy your meal. Try visiting another house for a quiet dining experience! Or wait for Quincy community dinner night.
