Henle Village provided housing for upperclassmen via thirteen small apartment buildings consisting of six to eight four-person and five-person apartments arranged around a stairwell. The apartments themselves were arranged around large open spaces known around campus as “the fishbowl,” “courtyard,” and “the big tree.” In fall 2025, Georgetown will open a new residence hall on the same site as the old Henle complex; construction began in May 20231.
Construction and opening
Henle spanned 99,487 square feet and was funded by a $4.2 million commercial loan supplemented by a $1.2 million HUD loan.2 The area’s difficult terrain and the necessary tree removal posed problems for architects from Warnecke and Ehrenkrantz and the construction crews from Glen Construction Company. When Henle opened in the fall of 1976, half of the residents included sophomores as well as incoming University president Timothy Healy.3 The complex was named after Father Robert J. Henle, S.J., who served as Georgetown’s forty-fifth president from 1969-1976.4
Renovations
Over the years, Henle has undergone several renovations including window replacements in 1978 and revamping the community room and the landscaping from 1989-92. In the summer of 2014, in order to combat a growing mold problem, the University installed dehumidifiers in every room in addition to floor scrubs, staircase renovations, painting, and new light fixtures.5Most recently, Henle apartments received new furniture over the summer of 2020.6
New Henle
In April 2022, Georgetown announced the construction of a new residence hall on the old Henle site7. New Henle will expand the complex's capacity to 746 students, a significant increase from the 468 housed by the old complex8. Construction on New Henle began in May 2023 and is expected to conclude in July 20259.
During Henle's closure, the university repurposed the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center as student housing10. The hotel has previously housed students on several occasions, most recently in 2021-2211. The university also allowed juniors to live off-campus outside of the Georgetown neighborhood, a plan widely criticized by students since it would effectively make them commuters12. Since Henle was one of the largest apartment-style housing complexes on campus, construction will cause a temporary but substantial reduction in the availability of apartment-style housing13.
- 1McLean, Caitlin. "Georgetown to Construct New Henle Village, Offer Increased Campus Housing." The Hoya. 13 April 2022.
- 2Moira Sheridan. “HUD Okays $7.4 Million for Housing.” The Hoya. 29 Oct. 1977, p.2.
- 3“Dorm Debuts on Time Missing Finishing Touches.” The Hoya. 4 Sept. 1976, p. 2.
- 4Francis X. Ballman, "Henle Village," Building Outlines Campus Buildings, 1789 – 1995, Father Lawrence Hurley Memorial Edition, Francis X. Ballmann and the Division of Facilities, 1995, p. 36.
- 5Marla Abadilla. “Henle Forum Promises Renovations to Eliminate Mold.” The Georgetown Voice. 27 March 2014.
- 6Lily Geiser. “Renovations to Student Residences Continue in Absence of Student Body.” The Georgetown Voice. 17 Sept. 2020.
- 7McLean, Caitlin. "Georgetown to Construct New Henle Village, Offer Increased Campus Housing." The Hoya. 13 April 2022.
- 8McLean, Caitlin. "Georgetown to Construct New Henle Village, Offer Increased Campus Housing." The Hoya. 13 April 2022.
- 9McLean, Caitlin. "Georgetown to Construct New Henle Village, Offer Increased Campus Housing." The Hoya. 13 April 2022.
- 10Wild, Franzi. "Students frustrated with the new proposed housing plan." The Georgetown Voice. 29 November 2022.
- 11Taffazoli, Sophie. "Hotel for Hoyas." The Georgetown Voice. 24 October 2021.
- 12Wild, Franzi. "Students frustrated with the new proposed housing plan." The Georgetown Voice. 29 November 2022.
- 13Wild, Franzi. "Students frustrated with the new proposed housing plan." The Georgetown Voice. 29 November 2022.
