Sunday, February 27, 2011

From 1913: New Fraternity House for Beta Theta Pi

The following is an excerpt from an article published about 98 years ago today, published in the Hartford Courant on February 26, 1913.
The Beta house has been in the news this week, with students protesting the University’s decision to ban students from living and assembling at the house if the fraternity did not agree to the conditions necessary for the house to be considered “program housing”. Beta Theta Pi has apparently accepted the University conditions, and students will thus be permitted to live in the Beta house next year.

---------------------
Plans are being figured for the new chapter house to be erected by the Beta Theta Pi fraternity at Wesleyan University, on the lot bought some time ago at the corner of High and Church Streets. It will be built of tapestry brick up to the second floor, and the remainder will be frame construction, with the exterior stucco. This house will be 30 by 70 feet, three stories high, with an ell 25 by 30 feet. The cost will be about $30,000, most of hte sum being given in memory of Raymond D. Baird of the class of 1911, who was a member of the fraternity while at Wesleyan. The removal of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity to this location will bring all of the chapter houses within the radius of the two blocks, with none more than two minutes walk from the campus. For many years the fraternity has made their home on Washington street, but this place will be sold as soon as the new house is finished. Work will probably commence on the new structure in the early spring, in the hopes of finishing it in time for occupancy next fall.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

great history!