Richards House Dorm Reviews — Lehigh University

About Richards House

Richards House is one of Lehigh's most iconic first-year residence halls, a four-floor stone structure in a modified Gothic design completed in 1938. Named in honor of Charles Russ Richards, president of Lehigh from 1922 to 1935, the building houses 143 first- and second-year students. Residents live on single-gender floors, each with a mix of single and double rooms sharing community bathrooms. The hall is known for its strong sense of community: every floor has a dedicated study lounge and the first floor features a TV lounge, game room, kitchen, and vending machines. Laundry facilities are on-site. Richards has a reputation for being one of the more sociable first-year dorms — its smaller size (143 residents) creates a tight-knit atmosphere, and the single-gender floors help students quickly get to know their neighbors. It is conveniently located near Lamberton Hall and the Iacocca Hall complex.