Chandler Hall is named in honor of Wallace L. Chandler of Richmond, a former rector for the JMU Board of Visitors. Chandler Hall was completed in 1998. Chandler Hall is composed of two wings, each with five floors. Most rooms are located on a corridor with community baths. There are several suites of rooms with two students per room sharing a bath with another double room. Residents are responsible for the cleanliness of bathrooms that are not accessible from a common hallway. Each wing of the hall contains study lounges, TV lounges, a kitchen, elevators, and a laundry facility.

Chesapeake Hall was built in 1999 and was named after the Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Hall is composed of two wings, each with five floors. Most rooms are located on a corridor with community baths. There are several suites of rooms with two students per room sharing a bath with another double room. Residents are responsible for the cleanliness of bathrooms that are not accessible from a common hallway. Each wing of the hall contains study lounges, TV lounges, a kitchen, elevators, and a laundry facility.

Shenandoah Hall was completed in 2009 and is named after the Shenandoah River. Shenandoah is composed of two wings, each with five floors. Rooms are located on a corridor with community baths. Each community bath is cleaned by housekeeping staff on a regular basis. Shenandoah Hall also houses the Honors Living and Learning Center. Each wing of the hall contains study lounges, TV lounges, a kitchen, elevators, and a laundry facility.

This hall is named after Paul Jennings, President James Madison's enslaved personal servant. This hall was completed in 2019. 

"Jennings' story is one of relentless perseverance, being born into slavery but ending his life as a devoted father, property owner, abolitionist and respected community member. His story is intellectually engaging, inspirational, and important to know to have a more complete and honest understanding of our shared history. I hope that the generations to come will reflect on his life and gain new perspectives as they come of age and begin to navigate their own worlds and challenges." - Raleigh Marshall, a descendant of Paul Jennings and 2005 alumnus of James Madison University 

Paul Jennings Hall has 500 beds and houses both new and continuing students. The layout of the hall allows us to create both upper-class and first-year communities throughout. The hall has quite a few features that we are very excited about. On the first floor, there is a Learning Commons and a Great Room. The Learning Commons is partially based on what we have seen be successful in the Student Success Center. We created an open space with a variety of seating options and access to WiFi that we hope residents of the building will use for studying, group meetings, etc. The Great Room serves as the central community room with space for over 200 people. We hope to hold a variety of larger-scale programs in this space. 

We've also worked with Aramark to have a P.O.D. operation on the main level. This gives residents a “grab and go” dining option right in their building. 

Finally, we have introduced a new bathroom concept in this hall that we think residents will be very excited about. While all of the bathrooms are community-based, each is actually comprised of a number of smaller private bathrooms. Each of these has its own sink, shower, and commode inside an actual room; not a stall.  This allows each user to have true privacy as they use the facilities but maintains the community-based feel and allows our excellent housekeeping staff to help maintain the cleanliness of the bathrooms. 

Community Hours

For access to the Paul Jenning Exhibit contact the Office of Residence Life Business Operations Office:

540-568-7576
Monday–Friday between 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed for lunch from noon – 1:00 p.m.