Phi Sigma Chi Sorority to dedicate new railing for old house
The Phi Sigma Chi Sorority of Shepherd College (now University) added to the ambiance of the University campus by having an iron railing installed in front of the Entler-Weltzheimer House on High Street. Known locally as “The Yellow House,” it was built in the late 1700s and served as a meeting house for the sorority between 1948 and 1960, when the sorority was located on the Shepherd College campus. The house is one of the oldest houses in Shepherdstown and has recently undergone a number of improvements thanks to funding from Shepherd University and a grant from the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office.
Improvements include the installation of a new cedar shake roof, restoration of the stone foundation, and repair and painting of the exterior. Funding for the new railing was provided by the sorority sisters and their families and by community residents interested in historic preservation. The railing was designed and constructed by blacksmiths Frank Graves and Daniel Tokar and the accompanying inscription reads “In honor of the Phi Sigma Chi Sorority, 1948-1960.”
The railing will be dedicated in a ceremony to be held at the house on Homecoming Day, Oct. 5, at 11 a.m. The public is invited to attend.