Building starts on Greek house: Home represents ‘new era’ for FarmHouse
January 27, 2013
By Kristen Sekinger
The FarmHouse Fraternity rang in a new era Saturday with the groundbreaking of its new house on Rose Lane.
The $4 million project includes new additions, such as a chapel.
“FarmHouse began as a Bible study group, so we felt that having a chapel would be fitting and unique,” said Austin Sipp, a mathematical economics junior.
Preparations for the project have been in progress for eight years and the money for was raised by FarmHouse alumni and friends, as well as members themselves.
Alumni and campaign council co-chairs Bill Moody and Lynwood Schrader designed the house.
The 20,000-square-foot, three-story house planned to be completed by January 2014 is expected to look different from the other fraternity houses on campus.
The plan is to make it look as much like an actual farm house as possible because a lot of members come from farm backgrounds.
The house will bring a new beginning and provide more growth for the fraternity as a whole, said John-Taylor Turley, president of FarmHouse and a biosystems and agricultural engineering senior.
One member of FarmHouse is excited about what opportunities the new house will bring.
“The new house is less about leaving our current house and more about the house representing a new era in FarmHouse,“ Sipp said.
Vice President for Facilities Management Bob Wiseman said in October that the location on Rose Lane could be considered for a “greek park.”
Family sciences junior Emily Pfabe had a positive reaction to this possibility.
“It would be really cool to have all the sororities and fraternities in one spot instead of spread out over campus. It could bring the Greek community closer,” Pfabe said.
