Canaday Hall

Canaday Hall is one of the newest buildings in Harvard Yard. Built in 1974, it is one of the dormitories housing first-year students at Harvard College. When seen from above, the complex of buildings comprising Canaday Hall resembles the shape of a question mark.

Due to its pre-fabricated look, 1970's-era institutional cinderblock construction, and awkward (noisy) location between Memorial Church, Memorial Hall and an active firehouse, Canaday Hall is often considered one of the least desirable of Harvard's freshman dormitories. It has received numerous derogatory nicknames, including "The Slums of Canaday" and the "Riot-Proof Dorms".

On the other hand, residents of Canaday Hall enjoy the shortest average distance to some of the most important buildings on the Harvard campus, including the Science Center, the aforementioned Memorial Hall, Emerson Hall, Sever Hall, Robinson Hall, the Law School Library, and Widener Library, among others.

Past residents include Paul Wylie, Mira Sorvino, Sean Gullette, and Charles Lane. (Source: Dorm History Search at http://hcs.harvard.edu/~dorms/)