History of 265 Prospect: the Kappa House on Prospect

Kappa Kappa Gamma Firsts Behind the Kappa House on Prospect

Kappa Kappa Gamma has been a leader at West Virginia University for more than 110 years. Beta Upsilon Chapter was the first sorority on campus, and its members kept setting the pace for Greek life in Morgantown:

• First sorority at West Virginia University.
• First to rent a chapter house.
• First to own a chapter house.
• First to build a chapter house — the stone home at 265 Prospect Street, completed in 1939.

That record of “firsts” became the theme of the capital campaign and its 2022 celebration: Mountaineers Go First, and so do Kappas!

The Kappa House on Prospect Through the Decades

Built of local stone in the colonial style, the house was designed to last. For more than eight decades it has held chapter meetings, recruitment weeks, formals, Founders Day dinners and countless late-night talks. Around 1,700 living alumnae have called Beta Upsilon home.

Major milestones

• 1939 – Beta Upsilon builds its house on Prospect Street.
• 2016 – Major renovations update the house, using most of the House Board’s savings.
• 2019 – The house turns 80. The Kappa House on Prospect Capital Campaign launches, and a new 30-year roof, rebuilt dormers and replacement windows are installed.
• 2021 – Floor joists, second-floor bathrooms, the dining room ceiling and the powder room are repaired, and the new dining room is dedicated.
• 2022 – Sisters return for the Reunion and Celebration, October 21–23.
• 2023 – The campaign closes with $475,000 in donations and pledges.

Preserving that history while meeting modern safety and technology needs is the balance the House Board works to strike. Learn about that work on The Issue and Improvements.