Reflections on the Early Days at 249 North Charlotte Street
By Andrew B. Turner ‘62
Many memories come to mind now that the Delta-Rho Chapter is moving from its location for the past 55 years at 249 North Charlotte Street to its new home at 441 College Avenue. But first some background.
The 1953-1960 Kappa Sigma House
From 1953 through 1960 the Delta-Rho Chapter was located at 528 W James St., a short walk from campus and close to nine other Fraternities. The James Street house was half of a double house with an open basement, then a kitchen, dining room, and living room on the first floor, three “study rooms” and two bath rooms on the second floor and a third floor dormitory sleeping area, a common arrangement at the time.
In 1959-1960, there were 12 of us (as I recall) living in the house. Somehow we were able to convince the alumni (I believe that they called themselves The Crescent Club back in those days) that we undergraduates needed a larger and better house. 249 North Charlotte St. (and hereafter called 249) came on the market and the “Crescent Club”, led by Sam Bard, purchased it in early 1960. 249 proved to be a fabulous rush benefit as the spring 1960 pledge class equaled the size of the chapter at the time.
Early Months of 1960
The first few months of 1960 were spent in convincing the zoning board, city council, and neighbors that Kappa Sigma would be an asset to the neighborhood. This was no small feat, but we prevailed and took occupancy on about April 1, 1960. Thanks to that spring pledge class and the undergraduate initiates we were able to move – lock, stock, and barrel – out of 528 and into 249 that very first weekend.
The First Years At 249 North Charlotte Street
Strong efforts were made to develop and maintain good relationships with our neighbors. I remember one neighbor who was quite vocally against our arrival complimenting us a year or two later on being a good neighbor! Speaking of neighbors, Brother Fred Killian, ’63, and his family lived just across from us on West Walnut St. Relations with neighbors improved to the degree that our next door neighbors on North Charlotte (two spinster ladies) invited us into their home on several occasions (for “afternoon tea”) and later several brothers served as pallbearers at the funeral of one of them. I hope today’s brothers similarly embrace the neighbors who will shortly welcome them to College Ave.
A Century-Long ‘Connection’ to 249
Following is an interesting tidbit about 249. The house was built for the Foltz family in the early 1890s. Charles Steinman Foltz, Sr. was editor and publisher of Lancaster Daily Intelligencer Journal during the early 1900s. His son Charles Jr. (1910-2005), a 1931 F&M graduate, was a 1929 Delta-Rho initiate (first pledge class) and thus lived at 249 as a brother some 30 years before the Chapter would begin its 55-year year occupancy in 1960. And so, you might say, Delta-Rho has had a connection (however loosely) with 249 for over a century, since Brother Foltz was born there 105 years ago.
The house at 249 was sold in 1941 by the Foltz family upon the death of Charles S. Foltz, Sr. to Edward L. and Corrine T. Dryer who lived there until Kappa Sigma took occupancy in 1960.