The historic dwelling has served many purposes — and occupied multiple locations on Elon’s campus — since it was built in 1963.
Before the latest renovation to Elon’s historic Holland House, which will now serve as a clubhouse for the golf program on South Campus, the building was home to two Elon presidents and administrative offices — and even moved across campus.
The two-story brick house was built in 1963 on the corner of Haggard and O’Kelly avenues, approximately where Phi Beta Kappa Commons sits today. It first served as the home of the late Elon President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley ’46 and, a decade later, following Danieley’s retirement as president, President Emeritus J. Fred Young. In 1985 it was renamed Holland House, after a gift from the family of Shirley Thomas Holland, who served on the Elon University Board of Trustees for more than 30 years. Holland also served in the Virginia House of Delegates for two decades, representing Isle of Wight and Nansemond counties.
“Few persons have given more of themselves to Elon College than Shirley Holland,” Danieley said in 1985.
In 1988 longtime Elon supporter James “Jim” W. Maynard and his siblings donated their family’s stately two-story Georgian home, Maynard House, to the university to serve as the new residence of the president, and the next transformation of Holland House began. In 1991 the home was renovated to make room for the university’s development support staff, Planned Giving, and Parent and Alumni Relations. The renovations included turning the garage into offices, a front entrance hall and reception area with a crystal chandelier, gifted by Jean Johnson Wright Ricks ’81 and Franklin Ricks ’70, in memory of their good friend Phil Cates ’70.
The front area of the home remained a space for gathering among alumni, faculty, staff and student groups. In the early 2000s, Holland House also included the Periclean Scholars, the leisure and sports management department, a faculty/staff lounge and some admissions staff.
In 2009 the home underwent its biggest transformation — a half-mile move across the train tracks to South Campus, to make room for Phi Beta Kappa Commons. Only the front portion of the home was moved, closer to its original form in 1963. Donned with a banner displaying “Elon University Recycles,” the house was moved over two days in June 2009 and attracted more than 100 spectators.
“I’m so happy the university is keeping the building,” Danieley told the Elon University News Bureau on the day of the home’s move in 2009. “It will be located in a nice place, it will be put back in good order and it will be useful for another generation and I believe that’s wonderful.”
In July 2009, Holland House was renovated again for the Catholic Newman Center and Catholic Campus Ministries, and now it will see a new life with Phoenix Athletics. The new renovations to Holland House will include locker rooms, coaches’ offices, quiet spaces for academic study, team engagement spaces and player meeting rooms. It is the second phase of a $3 million fundraising campaign to expand and enhance training and practice facilities for the men’s and women’s golf teams.