House
The History of 1005 West 28th Street.
1896 to 1950
In 1880, USC was founded and in 1896, the estate home at the corner of South Hoover and 28th Street in Los Angeles, which is now the California Delta chapter house, was built. The home’s architecture was Mission Revival, a style that drew inspiration from the Spanish missions of the day in California, with features that included enclosed courtyards and Baroque gables. The home also had significant historical and cultural connections with the Greater Los Angeles area, serving as the Mexican Consulate for several years and, in 1905, the Los Angeles Herald featured the residence in an article, describing the home as “....one of the most beautiful residences in Los Angeles.” At that time, the home was known as “The Johnson Estate", due to its purchase by hotelier, F. O. Johnson, and it was owned by the Johnson family until 1950, when they conveyed the property to the California Delta chapter.
1950 to 2005
The California Delta chapter founders had the foresight to ensure the perpetual stewardship and financial security of the home, and chapter alumni have generously accumulated the financial resources necessary to renovate, modernize and expand the residence and grounds on numerous occasions. One of these construction projects was completed in the mid 1970s, and it served as the springboard for the later construction project which ultimately resulted in the house as it appears today. An article in the 1974 edition of “The Scroll”, the Phi Delta Theta alumni publication, referenced the project and its strong alumni support. Unfortunately on April 21st, 2005, the Phi Delta Theta house burned down and it took about 125 firefighters approximately two hours to extinguish the blaze. It was lucky that no one was residing in the building at that time; however, this would begin a long journey for the California Delta Alumni to come together in order to rebuild the property.
2005 to Today
The restoration which began in 2005 was completed in 2009 and it involved the commitment of over $4 million in resources and resulted in the chapter house as it appears today. Strict compliance with historical preservation codes and regulations to help protect and maintain the structural integrity, residential appearance and comfortable feel of the original home was of paramount importance to the master plan. With alumni support, the project was successfully completed and the end results have perfectly suited the chapter's needs, balancing the home's historical and practical residential features extremely well. The house now accommodates 38 active residents, there is full time daily meal service, and outdoor amenities in the courtyard include a private parking area, basketball court, Olympic size beach volleyball court, barbecue pit, and deck area. In 2017, with the completion of the USC University Village, a $700 million, seven building student housing and retail complex, the dynamic of the entire USC campus dramatically changed, placing the university's residential epicenter almost at the doorstep of the Phi Delta Theta house. This shift in the "student center of gravity" has enhanced the vitality and convenience of the entire area, transformed it into the very heart of the campus residential district, and further solidified the chapter house at the corner of South Hoover and 28th Street as the "Gateway to Greek Row".
In 2021, the house celebrated its 125th Anniversary!
The first time I saw the Phi Delta Theta house, I knew that the legacy and history of the home needed to be preserved and in my role as House Manager, it’s a privilege for me to help maintain this historic property. For me to have the opportunity to help the chapter and all my fraternity Brothers by adding in some small way to the great legacy of this historic house, I am truly humbled and I consider it a true honor.
The House Corporation.
The House Corporation is the governing body which oversees the physical structure and accompanying assets. The Corporation meets quarterly to discuss and action such topics as: house operations, legal matters, insurance policies, financial positioning, etc. The current President of the California Delta House Corporation is Gabriel Galanti and you can reach him at any time by emailing housecorp@uscphidelt.org.
Vision.
Physical capital used to foster lifelong community and brotherhood.
Mission.
To provide a safe, clean, and productive learning environment for members of Phi Delta Theta at the University of Southern California.
Our 5 Year Plan (2017 - 2021)
After coming out of intensive two capital campaigns, Rebuilding our House (2007 - 2009) and Securing our Future (2011 - 2013) , and having our Alumni-base continue to pay off pledges made during those campaigns we are currently focused on a 5 Year Plan (2017 - 2021) which revolves around the following three key objectives:
Increased Chapter Transparency
Strong Focus on Alumni Engagement
Renewed Emphasis on Proactive Maintenance and Capital Investments
Over the course of 2017 to 2021 we have made significant strides in each area which are outlined below:
Increased Chapter
Transparency
Formalized the Resident Advisor role along with responsibilities and expectations
A representative from the House Corporation visits the Chapter at least once a semester
There is a continuous line of communication between the House Corporation and the Executive Officers of the Chapter
Standardized quarterly House Corporation meetings with Chapter members invited
Stronger Focus on Alumni Engagement
Refinished the Main Foyer Donor Board to account for Capital Campaign I and II fulfilled donations
Honored all “Room Naming” gifts by coordinating custom plaque creation and hanging
Continued producing Cal Delta Spotlight, this newsletter, to keep our Alumni up-to-date
Planned and executed our Inaugural Alumni Reunion to bring more Alumni back to California Delta
Supported Ad-Hoc Alumni events such as: baseball games, alumni BBQ, etc
Renewed Emphasis on Proactive Maint. & Capital Investments
Refurbished all bedrooms including providing new furniture over the course of the past three summers
Monthly maintenance technician visits to the property
Aggregated and refinanced our loans to accelerate principal payments
Painted all commons areas and lightly refurbished Round Room moldings
Installed beautiful new wrought iron staircase from the Foyer to the Upper Landing
Board Members.
Gabriel
Galanti
President
Brenton
Caldwell
Vice President
Bruce
Buettell
Comms. Advisor
Bill
Mitchell
Legal Advisor
Steve
Scully
Financial Advisor
Mike
Gundell
Advisor
Nick Stubberfield
Advisor
Capital Campaign Chair
Austin Vogel
Advisor
Alumni Events Co-Chair
Kevin Fohrer
Advisor
Alumni Events Co-Chair
Interested in Getting Involved?
If you have ideas to share, want to learn more about getting involved, or have questions feel free to reach out to housecorp@uscphidelt.org.