Those houses have been there, like, forever, right?
Forever is a long time, obviously, though on a college campus, 59 years might as well be forever. And that’s how long the current Fraternity Row has been standing on its current site.
In the spring of 1955, then Dean of Students Robert Brent proposed to the Board of Trustees the construction of seven fraternity lodges at some place on campus. Each house would have a chapter room, a living room, a kitchen, a bedroom for a fraternity member who was acting as the caretaker of the house, two bathrooms and some closets.
One site, on Cleveland Street near Snyder Field, was rejected because it was too far from the main part of the campus and also was not an especially attractive site. The other was along Memorial Drive down the hill from Main Building, though the college recognized that this site might eventually be needed for another academic building.
The trustees approved the project, and in the spring of 1956, the houses were all built simultaneously. That way no one fraternity would be able to occupy its house before the others. Originally only the chapter rooms in each house were to have pine paneling, but the college got a good deal on paneling and was able to use it in the living rooms and chapter rooms.
Construction began in December 1956 with foundation work. As the weather improved the pace of the work increased in April and May. The fraternities took possession of their houses on May 17, 1956.
The Old Gold and Black student newspaper noted that houses for fraternities had been a 60-year dream, as in fact, the college had not provided Greek houses before. After fraternities were reinstated in 1915, they mostly met wherever they could find space—including above stores on Spartanburg’s Morgan Square. But since May 1956, Fraternity Row has been the home to Wofford’s Greek organizations.
by Phillip Stone '94