After several months of deliberation, the Jefferson Scholars Foundation has decided to tear down the former Beta Theta fraternity house—a 94-year-old building also known as the Compton House—in order to make room for a 22,000-square-foot graduate fellowship center.
"We analyzed various options, some of which included the house as part of the facility and others which didn’t, and in the end, we came to the conclusion that it’s best for us to start with a clean slate," says James Wright, president of the Jeff Scholars Foundation, who underscores the sustainable features of the planned center. "It’s best for our objectives. That decision was carefully made and we’re excited about the facility we’ll be able to construct."
 Jeff Scholars have apparently studied enough historical architecture: This aging house on 124 Maury Ave. will come down to make room for a 22,000 square foot graduate center. |
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City defers on $21M loan to Jeff Scholars Jeff Scholars ask for $21M loan Merit scholars buy disgraced frat house |
The Compton House, built in 1913 for a local doctor, is not officially "historic" and does not come under the purview of the Board of Architectural Review. Much of what makes the structure special is that it was designed by Eugene Bradbury, one of Charlottesville’s more noteworthy architects.
"Eugene Bradbury is the premier architect working in early 20th century Charlottesville," Daniel Bluestone, a UVA professor of architectural history, told C-VILLE in September. "There are many situations in which we as a society have to decide between preserving the past and building the future, and those are situations in which there is no way to accommodate the two simultaneously. This is not one of those situations." Bluestone opted not to comment for this story, as he’s working on an extended formal response to the Foundation’s decision.
The Foundation hired local architectural firm VMDO (of John Paul Jones Arena fame) to design its new facility, but lead architect Bob Moje was traveling last week and could not comment. Questions were directed to Pam Fitzgerald of the PR firm The Ivy Group, who said that architects conducted numerous surveys—such as on existing conditions and foundational load capacity—as well as studying the feasibility of moving the building, which they determined wasn’t practical.
Controversy over the fate of the house first came to a head when the Foundation appeared before the Albemarle County Industrial Development Authority, asking to increase a previously approved bond request to $21 million from $18 million. But the city balked at the increase over concerns about the future of the Compton House. Rather than renewing that request, the Foundation now says it will privately raise the additional money.
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