University of Virginia Library

DU House Ravaged
In Mid-Summer Fire

By Brian Siegel
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Fire blazed through the Delta
Upsilon house this summer while
the fraternity's brothers were away
for their three-month vacation.

The old house, at 170 Rugby
Road, was first noticed burning
about 10 p.m. Friday, June 20, by a
girl living in an apartment adjacent
to the fraternity house. Fire engines
arrived shortly to extinguish the
flames.

Mystery Cause

No cause for the fire was
officially established. According to
Lionel Key of Virginia Electric &
Power Company, however, the fire
was definitely started by an arsonist
and the state Fire Marshall is still
investigating the case, In addition, a
fraternity brother reported that an
insurance company investigator has
examined the possibility of the fire
having been started by persons
within the brotherhood.

It was discovered that the fire
started in at least two different
portions of the house, according to
a DU member: in the basement and
one of the top two floors.

IFC Inspection

With electricity, gas, telephone,
and water disconnected, the fraternity
house passed the IFC inspection
and was locked up for the
summer months, a Delta Upsilon
brother said.

Damage to the house from the
fire has been appraised at $40,000.
A house brother reported extensive
rain damage has since worsened the
condition of the house.

Both the second and third floors
were completely charred by the
raging flames. Holes in the roof and
blackened window frames can be
seen from the street. Inside, the
parts of the house that were saved
from the fire have been rotted by
the torrents of rain that have been
characteristic of the past summer.

Personal Loss

In addition to the damage to the
house, personal effects valued at
about $5,000 were also lost. These
losses were covered by the individual
owners' insurances.

The fraternity has settled with
its insurance company on the
damage from fire and have now
moved their fraternity to 127
Chancellor Street. The new house is
being rented for a year. Long
range plans for a new fraternity
house have not been determined
yet, although one member of the
fraternity said the old house will
definitely not be reconstructed.

Rush Participation

Some furniture and rugs from
the first floor have been salvaged
for the new house. A member of
the fraternity said the house will
participate in the Rush Program as
usual, which is scheduled to begin
soon. A driveway on Madison Lane
leads directly to the new fraternity
house on Chancellor Street.

Delta Upsilon fraternity occupied
the Rugby Road location for
about eight years, and owned both
the house and the lot. One brother
said he expects the old house to be
condemned and a new one to be
built after all the details of last
summer's incident are squared
away.

Photo by Jim Lee

Delta Upsilon Brothers Attempt To Salvage Their Possessions From Charred House

June Fire Defies Explanation, Forces Fraternity To Move To Chancellor Street Address