Recent special renovations to the Psi Upsilon fraternity house are slated to end in the fall of 2013, with the goal of maintaining the house’s current standing as a place of historical significance.

External renovations to the house first began in 2009, and are designed to fix many aspects of the fraternity house’s exterior, said Jim Cornacchia, vice president of the Psi Upsilon Trust Association.

In May, renovations were made to the front pillars, porch, windows and siding of the Psi Upsilon house, he said.

“This summer we introduced a two-phase plan,” Cornacchia said. “In two years we are going to complete the southern facade and the front of the house, and next summer we are going to take on the Watson side of the house and the back.”

The fraternity house is on the National Register of Historic Places, so the Psi Upsilon Trust Association works to maintain the original look of the house. Since the house is on the register, the construction stopped in August for a two- to three-week period to discuss which types of building materials should be used on the house, said Eddie Walter, president of the Pi Chapter of Psi Upsilon at SU.

“Throughout the summer there was a quick stoppage in early August due to some discussion about using wood or synthetic materials on the front side of the house,” Walter said.

When renovations are made, keeping the historic part of the house as close to the way it was when it was originally built is always a concern, Walter said.

The house was added to the register in 1985, and is historically significant for its architecture, engineering and social history. The building falls into the classical revival category. Its significance stems from the period ranging from 1875 to 1899, according to the National Register of Historical Places.

The Pi Chapter of Psi Upsilon is “the oldest continuously operating chapter on the Syracuse University campus,” according to the fraternity’s website.

Though the house is on the register, it is not a national landmark and therefore there are no federal requirements for its renovation. But the Psi Upsilon Trust Association is still working to maintain the house’s original architecture, said Mat Ross, president of the Psi Upsilon Trust Association.

“We are working in cooperation with the Historic Preservation Board,” Ross said. “With that being said, there are certain materials we want to utilize to maintain the architectural historic integrity of the house, but the fact of the matter is they are new materials.”

Progress has been made on the house, but not without compromise from the fraternity brothers.

“We have definitely been helping as much as possible with the construction, but as college students, 8 a.m. is not the most convenient time to hear pounding of hammers on the side of the house,” Walter said.

With the construction scheduled to be complete in the fall of next year, the residents of the house are looking forward to the completion of the project and the reward of a new house.

Said Walter: “The guys are all positive about the renovations and they know it will look amazing when it’s finished, so we’re all just trying to get through it together.”

Published on October 24, 2012 at 10:22 pm

Contact Taylor: tblupo@syr.edu