The sights of blue carts, suitcases and eager George Washington University students and their families once again filled Mitchell Hall during move-in week. The iconic residential building reopened its doors after a 14-month renovation modernized the century-old Foggy Bottom campus pillar on 19th Street NW.
While the red bricks and original columns remained intact to keep its original character—it originally opened as the All States Hotel, providing safe and affordable housing for women—the upgrades meet the needs of today’s students while prioritizing safety, accessibility and sustainability and fostering community.
Creating social connection was a particular emphasis when modernizing the building, said Seth Weinshel, associate vice president for business services. Prior to the renovations, there was little to no common space within the building. Now, when students get off the elevator on each of the eight floors, they are met with common area spaces that include places to sit, as well as a kitchen.
“Creating a true sense of home drives everything our Residential Education and Campus Living teams do,” said Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Colette Coleman. “A GW residence hall is more than a place to sleep—it is a community designed for deep connection and belonging, where students form lifelong friendships, explore, and grow. The intentional redesign of Mitchell Hall has modernized and enhanced these core experiences, creating a space where students can truly belong.”
That community thread is woven into other upgrades throughout the building, including a new terrace on the first floor that can hold nearly 40 people. Additionally, there is a rooftop community space accessible via elevator that offers a breathtaking view of the Washington Monument and National Mall, offering students “only-at-GW” moments without having to leave their residence hall.
Connecting with the city was also an important theme of the renovations. Each floor is equipped with a copy of a D.C.-themed mural from a different local artist. Each of the eight floors represent one of the eight wards throughout the city. The first floor will feature art found in Ward 1, the second floor from Ward 2 and so on.
In 2018, artist Aniekan Udofia painted a mural of Frederick Douglass on the side of DC Market, located at the corner of 16th and W streets in Ward 8.
Now, GW students living on the eighth floor of Mitchell Hall pass by a copy of it every day. Udofia knows that GW students come from all over the world, and he is honored that his work will live within the building and connect those students with D.C.
“It means quite a lot to me, and I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to have my work on display at GW. I’m just super grateful,” Udofia said. “I hope the mural serves as a source of inspiration and creativity.”
The building was designed to make students’ lives more convenient and comfortable. Each room is equipped with a single full-sized bed, an upgrade from the extended twin beds in Mitchell Hall’s previous iteration. The upgrades also include single stall, non-gender-assigned bathrooms on every floor, similar to the setup at Thurston Hall.
Each floor has three washers and three dryers, as opposed to the old setup of just six washers and dryers in the basement.
There is improved ADA accessibility within the building, including the aforementioned elevator that goes to the rooftop terrace, as well as an exterior ramp for entry to the building.
The renovated building has made conscious sustainability efforts, including a hook in each room for students to store their bikes. There are also trash and recycling chutes located on each floor of the building.
Upgrades also included an updated HVAC and new windows.
