PI KAPPA PHI FRAT HOUSE

View north east, 1917 (via UNC's Yackety Yack)

1916 photo excerpt

This structure was built circa 1900 as the Sigma Alpha Epsilon frat hall. Pi Kappa Phi moved into the building in December 1918/January 1919. It was destroyed/burned in the January 8, 1919 fire on Fraternity Row.

This was the future author Tom Wolfe's fraternity, and he was living in the building and was present the night it burned (there were no casualties, BTW). The fraternity had just moved into this building from their previous frat house, and had to move back into their old house after the fire.

From the March 1919 Star and Shield of Pi Kappa Phi, Wolfe wrote this report of the fire:

"Kappa ... moved into its new location, a house conveniently situated on the campus in the fraternity row, between the Sigma Alpha Epsilon and the Sigma Nu houses. The house was occupied Wednesday, January 8. That night three new men were initiated, Bros W.P. Andrews of Charlotte, N.C., a senior; Ralph H. Wilson of Wilsons Mills, N.C., a junior; and Howard E. Fulton of Winston-Salem, N.C., a sophomore. After the initiations and ‘feed’ the members retired to their respective quarters. At two o’clock in the morning a fire broke out in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house next door and before it could be checked had destroyed the large Sigma Alpha Epsilon house, our house, and the Sigma Nu house. The quick action of the student body saved practically all our furnishings as well as those of the other houses, and prevented a wider spread of the flames."

(the above report is from franbecque.com/botd-thomas-wolfe-pi-kappa-phi)