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Citation: Updated B-W History, n.d.
The historic house located at 279 Front Street, was built in 1902 by noted architect Stanford white, designer of the original Madison Square Garden.
On October 17, 1936, the house on the northwest comer of Bagley Rd. and Front St. was bought to be used as the Phi Pi Phi Fraternity house, making it the third permanent home for a B-W fraternity. The three-story brick home was previously belonged to Charles F. Lane. It contained three large parlors, with two fireplaces in two of them, a dining room, a large kitchen and two pantries on the first floor. The house also came furnished and had hard wood floors and imported wallpaper. The second floor had six rooms and a bath. The third floor was an large open room. It also had an recreation room, and a chapter room with a fireplace in the basement. The house was the product of fundraising, and gifts from alumni and friends. A large gift was received from Dr. J.C. Marting who made the donation in memory of his son, Otto, who was a member of the Goethe literary society from which the fraternity originated.
After the fraternities were moved onto the campus of B-W the building was used as a humanities center. The building was leased by Bishop Reality, Inc. in 1973 to be used as office space. In December of 1990, Bishop asked to be released from the lease. The house was turned into residence hall to ease the housing crunch on campus. Renamed Victoria House in 1991, the home was remodeled to house twenty-two women.
