Our Halls

The Societies began taking residence on the third floor of the South building, with their respective libraries being installed upon the edges of each chamber. Decorating these lavish chambers put the societies into great debt. In the 1830s, a member of the Dialectic Society provided an iconic description of the South building that reverberates even among members of the Joint Senate today: "We now have an extensive library, believed to be equal to any in the Southern states-- a Hall of respectable dimensions-- rich damask curtains, from the looms of France, are suspended from the window arches-- the floor is spreading with neat carpeting--from the walls hang portraits of various state worthies, like guardian Genii of the place, looking with complacency on the efforts of the young hope of the state". Such a description demonstrates a society content with embellishing in luxuries while eternally reverent towards its alumni, ambivalent towards any personal faults of theirs and instead preferring to deify them. An elaborate overhead plastering was done that carried the Society name, motto, and date of establishment in gilt lettering. This overhead remained in South Building until the onset of the twentieth century.

 In 1837- running out of room in their halls due to an excess of members- the Phi's created a committee to find a new hall. Eventually, they succeeded in petitioning the board of trustees through arguments ranging from the unsafe nature of the South building (noted how the various fireplaces could easily set the building ablaze) to a lack of room for their societal operations. The debating societies' arguments paid off when Robert Donaldson, an alumnus, and patron, agreed to build new halls for them in 1843. The result was Old East and Old West halls were expanded with the express purpose of housing each of the societies. Each of the societies' halls lay on the second floor while their libraries were kept on the third floor. These halls' expansions were completed in 1847, with Old East being given to the Phis while Old West was given to the Di's. Rooms facing North in South Building went to the Phis while those facing South became Di rooms. All of the campus housing thus became divided between the societies. Despite a campaign to rename the buildings, Philanthropic Hall and Dialectic Hall, the old names were simply too ingrained for the new names to gain any traction. 

As the Universities and societies continued to grow, they yet again petitioned for new facilities, resulting in the creation of New East and New West. The Societies began residing in these new buildings in 1861. Their residence was brief though as the University closed down in 1868 due to Reconstruction efforts throughout the South after the atrocities of the Civil War. Similar to Old East and West, the societies' halls were next to the top floor while their libraries were on the top floor. Additionally, the Phi's resided in New East and the Di's in New West. The officer's dais was placed along the north walls of both buildings as well. As before, the societies embellished in finery, placing their portraits along the walls, carpets on the floors, and fine red velvet chairs that faced the daises. These buildings were also the first to feature a furnace system on campus, serving as a hilariously late response to the student's warnings in the 1830s about the South building. These furnaces ended up being defective so thin chimneys eventually had to be built on the exterior of New East and West.