I figured it would be more fun to ask than to do an online search for this. Were the structures for (the majority of) off campus houses built to be fraternities, or were they once large private homes?
OT: PSU fraternity house structures (?)
- Thread starter PSU Mike
- Start date
Many of the houses have large social rooms with dorm style bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs. That's not architecture which is seen in a house intended as a private residence. Many of the PSU frats are certainly beautiful structures though. At most other colleges the frats look like slums.
Our house (Sigma Chi) was built in the early 1900s and can't imagine it was constructed for anything other than a fraternity. It was originally the house for Delta Tau Delta who lost their charter in the 1960s. Interesting note is the house was used as a "half way house" for recovering hippies that did too much acid (and other drugs) after the DTDs moved out. I was told they painted the entire house red and when painting our room after moving in (1984) found the wall was indeed red behind the radiator. They also had painted some pretty cool murals in various rooms. The previous Sigma Chi house on campus (next to Sigma Nu and across from Fiji) was condemned in the 70s after the foundation cracked and moved into the current one on Prospect Ave.
Sorry for the history lesson, but always liked the history of our house.
Sorry for the history lesson, but always liked the history of our house.
I believe the Sigma Chi house (on Prospect Ave.) was designed by the same architect as the Beta house and the Sigma Pi house. I had heard that there was a spread in Better Homes and Gardens which featured the three. I pledged Sigma Chi (Alpha Chi) in the Fall of '85.
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/news/campus/article_ef94a128-5fd5-11e4-931f-001a4bcf6878.html
Pretty interesting article on some of the houses and their different uses over the years.
Pretty interesting article on some of the houses and their different uses over the years.
While the history of the former Delta Tau Delta house is indeed intriguing, it was never a "half-way house." After the Delts lost their charter, representatives from the Episcopal Church leased the house as an independent, cooperative living experiment in the action-intellectual style of John Kennedy and MLK. The formal name was the State College Canterbury House, but it was known as "The Shelter" (hence my board name). Acceptance was competitive and the residents were diverse, bright, and engaged in social and political causes. It was one of the first coed living experiments of its kind. The Shelter opened in 1968 and closed in 1972. As many of you know, those were socially and politically turbulent years and residents of The Shelter were fully engaged in the activities of the day (to the point that things got a bit out of hand on occasionOur house (Sigma Chi) was built in the early 1900s and can't imagine it was constructed for anything other than a fraternity. It was originally the house for Delta Tau Delta who lost their charter in the 1960s. Interesting note is the house was used as a "half way house" for recovering hippies that did too much acid (and other drugs) after the DTDs moved out. I was told they painted the entire house red and when painting our room after moving in (1984) found the wall was indeed red behind the radiator. They also had painted some pretty cool murals in various rooms. The previous Sigma Chi house on campus (next to Sigma Nu and across from Fiji) was condemned in the 70s after the foundation cracked and moved into the current one on Prospect Ave.
Sorry for the history lesson, but always liked the history of our house.
). The house was never painted all red, but there was colorful artwork in some of the rooms. And yes, there were some memorable parties. Those were indeed interesting times. Former Shelter residents became prominent citizens (surprisingly so in some cases ) including architects, judges, doctors, engineers, educators, teachers, ministers, philosophers, and musicians. Thanks for the opportunity to share a bit of our story.
The Sigma Pi house was either started or finished in 1933. I remember from my pledge days that it took something like 2 years to complete.
I was there in the mid/late 90s and some of the original living room furniture and fixtures were still there (amazingly).
There are some architectural quirks still visible in the house. If you look hard, you'll notice an old coal chute in the front porch wall. That's where deliveries were made for the original coal furnace back in the day. Legend has it that in the old days, pledges could only enter/exit the house through the coal chute.
There's also a hatch up to the roof in the attic. It's now boarded up, but members used to be able to access the roof (scary, I know).
These houses are such a neat feature of the university community. They'd cost tens of millions to build today. We'll likely never see them built again in the future for that reason.
I was there in the mid/late 90s and some of the original living room furniture and fixtures were still there (amazingly).
There are some architectural quirks still visible in the house. If you look hard, you'll notice an old coal chute in the front porch wall. That's where deliveries were made for the original coal furnace back in the day. Legend has it that in the old days, pledges could only enter/exit the house through the coal chute.
There's also a hatch up to the roof in the attic. It's now boarded up, but members used to be able to access the roof (scary, I know).
These houses are such a neat feature of the university community. They'd cost tens of millions to build today. We'll likely never see them built again in the future for that reason.
We had one in the basement at Sigma Chi while I was there, but then continual noise ordinances while having parties on the main floor forced us to open it up and move underground.
Thanks of the information. The older alums would describe it as a half-way house, but sounds like it was still very hippie-ish. I know for sure the room I stayed in and some others were painted red, but obviously not all of them. My favorite artwork was supposedly a rendition of a Steppenwolf album cover in a third floor room.While the history of the former Delta Tau Delta house is indeed intriguing, it was never a "half-way house." After the Delts lost their charter, representatives from the Episcopal Church leased the house as an independent, cooperative living experiment in the action-intellectual style of John Kennedy and MLK. The formal name was the State College Canterbury House, but it was known as "The Shelter" (hence my board name). Acceptance was competitive and the residents were diverse, bright, and engaged in social and political causes. It was one of the first coed living experiments of its kind. The Shelter opened in 1968 and closed in 1972. As many of you know, those were socially and politically turbulent years and residents of The Shelter were fully engaged in the activities of the day (to the point that things got a bit out of hand on occasion
Delta Sigma Phi ("The Pink Elephant") was built as a fraternity house. It was designed by Fred Disque.
Our house (Sigma Chi) was built in the early 1900s and can't imagine it was constructed for anything other than a fraternity. It was originally the house for Delta Tau Delta who lost their charter in the 1960s. Interesting note is the house was used as a "half way house" for recovering hippies that did too much acid (and other drugs) after the DTDs moved out. I was told they painted the entire house red and when painting our room after moving in (1984) found the wall was indeed red behind the radiator. They also had painted some pretty cool murals in various rooms. The previous Sigma Chi house on campus (next to Sigma Nu and across from Fiji) was condemned in the 70s after the foundation cracked and moved into the current one on Prospect Ave.
Sorry for the history lesson, but always liked the history of our house.
Brother - you forgot some of the best lore - during prohibition - there were secret tunnels that allowed 'partakers' to sneak out before the 'revenuers' could bust them. In the basement, there were remnants of emergency buttons, paneled doors, and diggings to support the lore - no hard evidence was found to support the claims - an actual tunnel. However, this story lured more than one interested co-ed into an inebriated and dreamy conversation. The rest gentlemen will continue to fuel the flame of fancy and folly and the pursuit of every young brothers dream at Sigma Chi.
If Spanier was still president, he'd use the Beta revocation as an excuse to raze the house and put up another building. Kidding (kind of) but the guy was building crazy, taking away open space on campus and the Phi Delta Theta house across the street from Beta. Not sure who has rights to the Beta property, PSU bought the Phi Delta Theta property across the street before tearing it down.
