University of Virginia Library

Koinonia: A Living Experiment

Experimental projects in
community living are proliferating
in this country. No matter what
city, town, or rural community you
visit there will be groups of people
living and working together.

Charlottesville has had a project
in experimental community living
since the early 1960's. Known as
Koinonia (Greek or Community)
a brown shingled house on
Chancellor Street has housed eight
successive groups of University
students attempting a completely
new form of interrelation.

Trying to describe what has
happened there eludes even those
who have lived there, Some joined
to escape the dormitories, others to
relieve the isolation of apartments.
For many the experience, as elusive
as it may have been, was a positive
experience.

Koinonia attempts to have as
little structure as possible. Except
for eating the evening meals
together and participation in one or
two group meetings a week, the
house has no rules. Emphasis is
placed on developing among the
group of people currently living in
the house a way or form of relating
to one another on a positive,
concerned basis.

Open To All Students

Participation in the Experiment
is open to all University students.
Two years ago, for the first time,
Koinonia was coeducated, and the
experience subsequently broadened
and enriched. Many students
complained in past interviews about
the social atmosphere at the
University being less than realistic.
For the last two years, Koinonia
has provided as realistic an
atmosphere as possible.

Room And Board

Each year is a completely
different experiment. For the next
few weeks, the Board of Koinonia
(a number of members in St. Paul's
Church which officially owns and
advises Koinonia) will be
Interviewing University students
who are interested in involving
themselves in the project.

A newspaper is a difficult place
to form impressions as to the true
nature of the community. People
who would like to find out more
should contact, immediately,
David Ward at St. Paul's Memorial
Church. Koinonia also has an open
doors policy and encourages
everyone to stop by 128 Chancellor
Street and talk to the present
occupants of the house.

One other advantage of
Koinonia is the low cost of living.
$75.00 a month covers room and
board, meals consisting of five
dinners a week plus peanut better
and jelly and bread kept on hand
for lunch. Total capacity of the
house has varied from nine to
twelve people, and as of this writing
there are still many vacancies for
next year's house.