This house was built in 1889 by the Ecce Quam Bonum Club. They secured the lot back of Thompson Hall, now known as the "Union", and, by assessment on the members, raised the money to build the small wooden house. This house had probably three rooms which were used for meetings, reading, and recreation. A billard and pool table were installed in the back room and in constant use. Founded in 1870, EQB functioned as literary and social club. The club was originally a male society consisting of faculty members, administrators, and “gentlemen resident at Sewanee” who gathered twice monthly for lectures called “leads.” The house was used by the club for about a decade until 1899 when the University offered two rooms over the old Supply Store. This was so that they could build the Sewanee Union Theater on the house’s lot. Rather than tear the house down the University moved it just down the street next to Dr. Torian’s residence.
There it became the fraternity house of Alpha Kappa Kappa, a medical fraternity. After 1907 it became the office of Dr. Reynold Kirby-Smith when he was elected Officer of the University and Chief of Staff of the Emerald Hodgson Hospital. Later it became the residence of John and Betty Hodges. The residents preceding them more or less in order were Mrs. Echols and her niece, John and Ellen Webb, Harry and Jean Yeatman, Cruse and Jim Clark, who sold it to Ed and Elizabeth Camp. The Camps added the left wing. The house was owned by W. B. Rodgers and Marion Beasley from 1983-2019. It is currently owned by Walter Kurtz.
...Plans were made at the same time to move histoirc Alpha Kappa Kappa house, which had become Dr. R. Kirby-Smith's office, to another location down the hill (which I understand was moved "inch-by-inch, and took several weeks to accomplish). This was done in 1940 (1941?)and became the home of John and Betty Hodges. In 1943 John reported to duty with the Navy Intelligence division and Mrs. Mary Moore Sanborn spent that winter in the house. Dr. Guerry made an exchange of houses with Mrs. Echols and her niece and added a big room directly in back of the living room in order for Mrs. Echols to accommodate her high-poster bed. After her death (?).....Jim and Cruse Clark--who bought the house from the University and added a bedroom/bath in back of the big bedroom, enclosed the back stairs and the lower level garage, making an apartment there...the Clarks sold the house to Ed and Elizabeth Camp who added the left front wing. The Reavis' bought the house from the Camps and added a deck at the rear.....
Armour, personal communication.
Gerald L. Smith and Sean T. Suarez, "Sewanee Places; A Historical Gazetteer of the Domain and the Sewanee Area" p. 197
Hodgson, personal communication.