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Chi Psi Lodge, Cornell University

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Availability:	Closed to the Public
Filed Under:	Historical Locations Historical Locations > Disasters
Added By:	Tom G
Added On:	November 23, 2008 - 03:50 AM UTC
Last Modified:	November 25, 2008 - 12:13 AM UTC
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Average Rating:	0 (0 ratings)
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Address
810 University Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA (Ithaca, New York)

Information
The Chi Psi Lodge The Chi Psi fraternity has been a part of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York since the chapter was founded in 1869. The fraternity itself was founded May 20, 1841 at Union College in Schenectady, New York. Members traditionally refer to their fraternity buildings as "lodges" rather than "houses", due to the very first Chi Psi house (also the very first fraternity house in the US) resembling a hunting lodge. Chi Psi's mission is to create a life-long sense of brotherhood among its members and assist them in growing academically, morally and socially. The current Chi Psi Lodge is the second one to stand on its spot on the Cornell grounds. The original Cornell Chi Psi Lodge was the former McGraw Mansion, a building with a tragic history, built by one of Cornell's benefactors, Jennie McGraw. Jennie McGraw Jennie McGraw was a wealthy heiress with strong ties to Cornell University. Both her and her late father had been contributors to Cornell. After her father's passing in 1877, Jennie began construction of a mansion on a section of the University property. She left for Europe to buy furnishings for her new home while work commenced. A victim of tuberculosis, Jenny was in poor health. She wound spending years in Europe as her health further declined and she became bed-ridden. The mansion was completed and still she did not return. It wasn't until a doctor in France informed her that she only had weeks to live that she finally decided to return home to Ithaca, New York to die. By that time, Jennie had married a professor from the college who had also been overseas. Jennie arrived back home in September. While being transported by coach to the place where she would spend her final days, Jennie raised her head head weakly from her pillows long enough to gaze upon the mansion. According to the accounts of her coachman she was pleased with the exterior of the home she had built, but in which she'd never reside. She would be taken elsewhere to die. When Jennie died on September 30, 1881, her body was taken to the mansion she'd built. Her funeral was the closest the mansion came to having a housewarming. There are some who believe this was a sign of ill portent. A chain of events transpired after her death that resulted in the end of friendships, legal battles and other ugliness for key people associated with the university. It is also said that Jennie haunts the tower named after her. In 1896, the mansion was sold to the Chi Psi fraternity. It became the first Chi Psi lodge at Cornell. The McGraw Mansion Fire Shortly before four o'clock in the morning on December 7, 1906, the former McGraw Mansion caught fire. It is believed that the fire started from a pile of oily rags lying at the bottom of an inoperative elevator shaft that had functioned as a broom closet. The flames quickly moved upward and through the house through this shaft. While the exterior of the Chi Psi lodge was made of brick, there was a great deal of wood used in its interior construction and framework. The lodge rapidly became a raging inferno. Fire horses had a horrible time dragging fire carts up the icy hill. Low water pressure further hampered attempts to combat the fire. A crowd gathered outside as members of the fraternity were witnessed to be trapped on the third floor. With coaxing from firefighters and the crowd alike, a number of the students jumped 3 stories to escape the flames. Others unwittingly escaped when the exterior walls of the mansion began to collapse, carrying the victims ultimately to safety in a brutal fashion. Two more students were witnessed in the window of the Southwest tower of the lodge. Cries for them to jump went unheeded as flames scaled the sides of the tower. The men did not survive when the tower finally collapsed. A student identified in the New York Times later that day as O.L. Schmuck was the roommate of one the students in the tower. While Schmuck had escaped the fire, he ran back into the inferno in an attempt to save his fraternity brother. He was fatally burned for his efforts. Another member of the fraternity, James H. McCutcheon, also died from injuries sustained while attempting to rescue other fraternity members. They weren't the only heroes to die that morning. Three members of the Ithaca Fire Department were also killed when the North wall of the mansion collapsed upon them as they attempted fight the flames from outside. The New York Times gruesomely stated in their article that the unfortunate men were "slowly roasted to death" beneath the flaming debris. Firefighters were assisted by members of the Cornell football team who volunteered their help. Their actions saved lives that dark winter morning. A total of 22 fraternity members survived. There was no saving the building. While there are some who say that the mansion was cursed by the death of Jennie McGraw, the building was ultimately doomed by its construction, the location of the initial fire, and the weather conditions (not to mention the limitations of fire rescue technology at the time). Seven other members of the fraternity were injured to various degrees during the incident. One student was burned so badly that he wasn't expected to make it at the time of the article, but there isn't a record of any further deaths resulting from the fire, so it can be assumed that he lived. Rescuers had to use dynamite to recover the remains of the students lost in the tower collapse from the wreckage. A year later, the Chi Psi fraternity began construction of a new lodge, using the foundation of the former mansion. The Chi Psi Lodge Today The current lodge has been standing since 1907. It is an active fraternity lodge and any visitors should limit their visit to taking photos of the exterior. Please do not trespass or violate the privacy of the fraternity members.

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Related Sites
New York Times: McGraw Mansion Fire Newspaper article from December 7, 1906 detailing the fraternity lodge fire that killed 7 men at Cornell University.
Cornell University Web site for Cornell University.
Wikipedia: Cornell University Wikipedia entry for Cornell University.

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See Also on TheCabinet.com
Blog: The Curse of McGraw Mansion (12/07/08)

Available from Amazon.com
A History of Cornell
The Chi Psi Story

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Cornell University's Chi Psi Lodge, built on the foundation of the former McGraw Mansion.
From: Tom G

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The above content is for informational purposes only. Before making any travel arrangements, it is highly recommended that you contact those in charge of the property to check for updated availability and hours of operation. While we do our best to keep this information updated, we cannot guarantee that it is completely valid and up to date. Any destination marked "Closed to the Public" is marked that for a reason and we discourage any visits or attempts to gain access to that facility. Similarly, take note of any "Travel Advisory" that may be associated with a destination. Finally, treat any location and its local residents with respect. Any vandalism and/or unruly behavior is completely despicable and only ruins the experience for future visitors.

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