Xi Chapter, Psi Upsilon Fraternity facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Xi Chapter, Psi Upsilon Fraternity
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 242 High St., Middletown, Connecticut |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1891 |
| Architect | Colin C. Wilson |
| Architectural style | Romanesque, Jacobethan |
| NRHP reference No. | 09000870 |
| Added to NRHP | November 4, 2009 |
The Xi Chapter, Psi Upsilon Fraternity is a special club for students at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. It's like a brotherhood where students can make friends and share experiences. The building where they meet, called the Psi Upsilon Fraternity Building, was built in 1891. This building is very important because of its unique design, which mixes two old styles: Romanesque and Jacobethan architecture. Because it's so special, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
A Look at the Chapter's History
The Psi Upsilon fraternity started a long time ago, in 1833. The chapter at Wesleyan University began around 1843. By the late 1800s, this chapter was one of the most important groups on campus. Many of its members were leaders in school sports teams. They also won many awards for their excellent schoolwork.
Exploring the Fraternity Building
The Psi Upsilon fraternity house is on a street called Fraternity Row. This street is on the east side of the main Wesleyan campus. You can find it at the corner of High and College Streets. It's a very noticeable building, standing 2-1/2 stories tall.
The building is made mostly of strong yellow bricks. It also has special decorations made from different materials. These include brownstone and terra cotta. The pointed parts of the roof, called gable ends, have a stucco finish with wooden beams that look like a half-timber design. Most of the windows have rounded tops. They are framed with brick and have brownstone sills at the bottom. The corners of the building are decorated with darker stones or bricks. These are arranged in a pattern called "quoins." The inside of the building was updated a lot in 1916.
An English architect named Colin Wilson designed this building. He was chosen even though famous New York architects, like Carrère and Hastings, also wanted the job. Colin Wilson was young and not very well known at the time. He might have been picked because a former student, who lived in London and paid for much of the building, knew him.
