Delta Chi house currently being razed due to hazards

The former Delta Chi chapter house on South Locust Street is being razed due to serious health and safety concerns, DePauw University officials have announced.

Following the closing of the chapter and subsequent deterioration of the house, DePauw purchased the property in 2012 to relieve a heavy financial burden from Delta Chi of DePauw Inc.

The university made an extensive evaluation of the structure at 912 S. Locust St. and determined rehabilitation was not feasible. Since then, the building’s condition has continued to decline with a significant mold infestation while also becoming an attractive nuisance in the community.

Since May 2014, DePauw’s Public Safety Department has received at least 11 reports of vandalism and other suspicious activity on the property. This trend, along with the escalating health concerns, has compelled the university to action in taking down the house and making the property and neighborhood safe.

“This is sad news for alumni and for the campus community,” Steven J. Setchell, associate vice president for alumni engagement and campaign initiatives, said.

“The Ranch,” as the Delta Chi chapter house has been affectionately known, was built in 1928 and served as home to generations of students and alumni, including members of the DPU Board of Trustees and other prominent alumni leaders.

The Delta Chi chapter, established at DePauw in 1892 just two years after the organization was founded as a law fraternity at Cornell University, will continue to be an important part of DePauw’s proud history, Setchell said.

“To this end,” he added, “our staff is taking care to keep the entryway glass bearing the fraternity crest and any other significant markers of the chapter’s identity.”

Looking to the future, Setchell said, “the loss of the house does not diminish prospects for the chapter’s recolonization. The university continues to welcome the fraternity to recolonize if there is student interest in doing so.”