Rugby Road facts for kids
Rugby Road is a famous street in Charlottesville, Virginia, especially known for being a lively center for students at the University of Virginia. It's where many of the university's student groups, like fraternities and sororities, have their houses. Rugby Road starts near the Rotunda, a well-known building at the university, and stretches towards the 250 Bypass. It's also close to The Corner, an area with shops and restaurants popular with students. Along Rugby Road, you'll find many interesting old houses, some of which are now used by student organizations. Even famous writer William Faulkner once lived here!
Besides being a social hub, Rugby Road is home to several important places and buildings. These include Madison House, the University of Virginia School of Architecture, Mad Bowl (a large field), Beta Bridge, and official university buildings like Fayerweather Hall and the President's House on Carr's Hill.
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Madison House: Helping the Community
Madison House is a special place at the University of Virginia. It's a student volunteer center where students can help others and their community. This non-profit group helps students find ways to give back to both the university and the wider Charlottesville area. Madison House is unique because it's mostly run by students. It has many different programs, and over 3,000 students volunteer every week! Former university students also help by donating money to support these programs. Madison House has even won national awards for its great work.
Madison House started a long time ago, in 1856, as a YMCA group. The YMCA focused on religious values and believed in helping the community. Later, in the 1960s, the group changed its name to Masters and Fellows of Madison Hall, but kept its focus on volunteering. Madison House, as we know it today, was formed in 1975 when two groups joined together.
Madison House runs many different programs. Some examples include:
- Adopt-a-Grandparent: Students visit and spend time with older adults.
- Big Sibling: Students mentor younger children.
- Cavs in the Classroom: Students help out in local schools.
- English as a Second Language: Students help people learn English.
- Tutoring: Students help other students with their schoolwork.
Each program is led by student directors who plan events, manage money, and train other volunteers. These student leaders work hard, showing their dedication to helping others. Below them are over 3,000 student volunteers who commit to working a few hours each week. The whole organization is supported by a staff of experts and a Board of Directors, which includes students, university members, and community leaders.
Madison House has received important awards for its service. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush recognized Madison House as a "Point of Light." This award celebrates people and groups who make a big difference in their communities. In 2000, Madison House was the only youth volunteer group in Virginia to win the Governor's award for community service.
Mad Bowl: A Field of Fun
Madison Bowl, often called "Mad Bowl," is a large open field located behind Madison Hall, between Rugby Road and Madison Lane. This field has a long history of hosting many different student activities. It was first owned by the YMCA in 1895 and originally had tennis courts. Later, in 1914, a running track was added.
Mad Bowl is a popular spot for:
- Sports: Many club and intramural sports, especially rugby, are played here.
- Student Events: It hosts fun events like the Fall Autumns Carnival and Springfest.
- Student Group Activities: Fraternities and sororities use the field for events and fundraisers.
For many years, Mad Bowl was famous for hosting a large spring celebration called "Easters." This week-long event started as early as 1898 and included dances and games to help students enjoy the spring weather and celebrate Thomas Jefferson's birthday. By the 1960s, Easters became a huge party held in the student houses along Rugby Road and in Mad Bowl, attracting people from all over. However, the last Easters celebration happened in 1982. After a minor incident, it was decided that the event had become too large and risky, so it was stopped.
In 2006, the university and the city worked together to improve Mad Bowl. For years, water would collect on the field, giving it the nickname "Mud Bowl." This made it hard to use the field safely. They dug up the field to install new drainage systems, added fresh soil, and laid down new grass. Now, the field is much better for all the activities that take place there, but it's only used during the daytime as there are no stadium lights.
Student Houses on Rugby Road
Rugby Road and the streets nearby are home to many student organization houses. These houses are where members of fraternities and sororities live and hold their events. Some of the groups with houses in this area include Delta Gamma, Theta Delta Chi, Sigma Phi, Delta Upsilon, Phi Kappa Psi, and many others.
In 1983, the university noticed that many of these historic houses were getting old and needed repairs. So, they created a program called the Historic Renovation Corporation. This program helps to fix up these houses and then sells them back to the alumni (former students) who own them. The Historic Renovation Corporation still helps manage and maintain many of the houses on Rugby Road today, keeping them in good condition for future students.
Carr's Hill: A Historic Spot
Carr's Hill is a significant area located at the corner of Rugby Road and University Avenue. It faces Mad Bowl and the Rotunda. This spot has been important to the university community for a long time. In the mid-1840s, when the university grew and needed more space for students, Sidney Carr's boardinghouse on Carr's Hill helped provide rooms. Later, by 1877, dormitories were built here.
During the American Civil War, Carr's Hill was used as a drill field for soldiers.
The university bought Carr's Hill in 1867. Over time, two important university buildings were built there: Fayerweather Hall and the President's residence. Fayerweather Hall, built in 1893, was the university's first indoor gym. Today, it's where the university's Art History department is located. The President's House was built on Carr's Hill starting in 1907. It was designed by famous architects who also designed other important buildings at the university.
Beta Bridge: A Canvas for Students
An important part of Rugby Road is Beta Bridge. This bridge crosses over old train tracks. The current bridge was built in 1923 as part of a project to improve Charlottesville's streets for cars. It was first called the Rugby Road Bridge. However, when the Beta Theta Pi student group built their house nearby in 1927, the bridge became known as Beta Bridge. Later, another student group, Delta Upsilon, moved into a house near the bridge. For many years, members of Delta Upsilon would paint over messages on the bridge that were offensive or didn't include "THX DU" (meaning "Thanks Delta Upsilon"). In 2011, Beta Theta Pi moved back to their original house next to the bridge, and now messages often include "THX Beta."
The tradition of painting bridges at the university actually began in 1901. Students used to paint a different railroad bridge near The Corner. When the railroad tried to stop them, students moved their messages to Beta Bridge. The first time someone officially recorded painting Beta Bridge was in 1926. Students would often paint sports scores or praise athletes.
The tradition became more creative on St. Patrick's Day in 1967. Supporters of the holiday painted the bridge green. Then, another group painted over the green with red and wrote "God Save the Queen." The first group responded by changing "Queen" to "Green," and the tradition of changing and adding messages really took off! Today, many university groups paint the bridge to promote their activities, events, or to share messages.
Beta Bridge has become a place where students can express themselves freely. Messages about many different topics appear on the bridge, including announcements for events, memorials for people in the community, and messages from various student groups. For example, after the tragic Virginia Tech shootings in 2007, students from the University of Virginia painted Beta Bridge to show their support for Virginia Tech. This message stayed on the bridge for the rest of the school year, which was unusual because the bridge is normally painted many times a week!
Sometimes, the layers of paint on Beta Bridge can get very thick. In 2007, a large sheet of paint, about 4 feet high, 10 feet long, and 3 inches thick, peeled off one of the bridge walls! It was so heavy that workers had to cut it in half to move it. This happens because of the many layers of paint, combined with summer heat and moisture.
Images for kids
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Rugby Road
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Madison Bowl at the University of Virginia, surrounded by several Greek houses. From left to right: Phi Kappa Psi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, St. Anthony Hall, Sigma Phi Epsilon (now inactive), Zeta Tau Alpha, and St. Elmo Hall.
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Beta Bridge
