In Athens, numerous giant mansions trace the street of Milledge, housing hundreds of students that are in a sorority or fraternity.
The University of Georgia has 19 Panhellenic sorority chapters, with sorority members making up 32 percent of the student population.
With some of these houses being built back in 1857, there are many interesting secrets they hold. Though some of them may just be rumors passed down to each new generation, the stories are still fascinating.
Various UGA sorority houses have been listed in Cosmopolitan’s article of the 50 most stunning sorority houses in the nation, including Phi Mu, Gamma Phi Beta, Alpha Gamma Delta, and Delta Delta Delta.
Putting aesthetics aside, there are many unknown facts about these greek houses that might shock those who haven’t heard them!
Phi Mu’s Haunting Past
Starting off on a creepy note, rumor has it that there was a murder that took place at the Phi Mu house shortly after it was built in 1858.
Napier Hamilton, the original owner of this house, is said to be the state of Georgia’s first millionaire ever. Hamilton’s daughter, Anna Hamilton, lived in a house next door.
According to the Red and Black, it is rumored that Anna Hamilton’s fiancé was murdered by a member of his own family and then buried under the house’s front steps.
It is said that she went crazy and now haunts Phi Mu, wandering around the halls in grief and calling out for her dead fiancé.
Almost a hundred years after it was built, the residence was turned into a sorority house in 1964 and later became a historical landmark in 1991.
The Underground Tunnel Connecting Phi Mu and Alpha Delta Pi
Another rumor that has been passed down for generations is that there is an underground tunnel connecting the Phi Mu house and Alpha Delta Pi house.
Though it has not been confirmed true or false, numerous generations of women from both sororities have been told the same story.
Napier Hamilton built both of the houses for his two daughters. If you take a good look at both of the homes, they have similar Victorian-style architecture and baroque ironwork.
Apparently, Hamilton built an underground tunnel to connect his daughter’s houses. Though many current residents have searched for the tunnel, it seems that it has been closed off for safety reasons.
Gamma Phi Beta’s Unusually Low Doorknobs
On a more humorous note, when walking into Gamma Phi Beta you might notice something abnormal. Instead of the doorknob being located near your waist, it will be closer to your knees.
Starting out as a residence home like most of the greek houses on Milledge, the Gamma Phi Beta chapter at UGA was founded in 1982.
According to a current member of their sorority, the man who originally built the house was married to an extremely petite woman.
With his wife being very short, he decided to install extremely low doorknobs for her convenience which can be seen in the photo below. Oh, the lengths we go for love.
Alpha Gamma Delta’s Ghost Bride
Prepare yourself for another haunting story! Built in 1896, Alpha Gamma Delta’s house is the third oldest sorority house on campus.
According to the Red & Black, Miss Susie Carithers was given the house as a wedding gift.
On her wedding day, her fiance did not show up, leading her to believe he had backed out last minute. Little did she know, he was simply running late.
Unfortunately, it was too late when he arrived. Carithers ended up hanging herself in the attic of the home.
Rumor has it that she can be seen staring out of the attic, waiting for her groom to return.
Since then, the house has been used as a residential home and a local inn. Eventually, it became Alpha Gamma Delta’s home in 1923.
Delta Zeta’s Fake Window
When walking by Delta Zeta, the house looks perfectly symmetrical. Yet, few people know that what they are seeing is partially fake.
After remodeling the house, Delta Zeta added a fake window on the bottom right of the front of the house to make it look symmetrical with the preexisting window.
Once you go inside the house, you will see that there is no window looking onto Milledge from the inside! Below is a comparison of the original house and renovated house with the fake window.
Alpha Phi’s Design Awards and Dog Statue
It is hard to miss the 7,000-square-foot historic home that now serves as Alpha Phi’s sorority house. After being remodeled, Alpha Phi’s construction ended in August 2019.
The redesigned home has now won two design awards, the 2019 AIA Atlanta Residential Design Award for Renovations and the 2020 Historic Athens Award for Outstanding New Construction.
Not only is the structure and design notable enough, but some do not know that there is a special gift in the front yard.
The past owner of the house, Margaret Mitchell, passed down an iron statue of a dog that appeared in the movie Gone with the Wind.
So next time you pass by this house, don’t forget to spot the famous dog statue in front of the beautiful mansion.
Delta Gamma’s Anchor
When passing by the Delta Gamma house, you might notice that there is a large anchor sitting on the lawn. This portrays the sorority’s symbol which is meant to represent hope.
According to one of their members, the anchor in front of the Delta Gamma house is owned by the U.S. Navy.
Since the U.S. Navy is not allowed to give gifts, they came to a compromise. Finding a successful loophole, the sorority pays them one penny each year to rent it!
Sigma Kappa’s Gym
Most UGA sorority girls have to travel to go to the gym but for members of Sigma Kappa, this is not the case.
Surprisingly, Sigma Kappa is the only sorority house with a room devoted to being a gym inside their home.
Shown in the photo below, the gym offers workout machines, including an elliptical, weight bench, bike machine, and treadmill. There are also yoga mats, exercise balls, and weights for the girls to use.
