Astraea House
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| Astraea House | |
|---|---|
| Type | Society house; historic mansion |
| Location | Elysian Road, Verdant, Connecticut |
| Founded | 1900-1920 (building); late 1970s (Astraea Society occupancy) |
| Owner | Astraea Society |
| Notable residents | Kelly Spaihts, Cassandra Blake, Bridgette Hutchinson |
| First appearance | Making the Grades: Kelly's Unveiling |
About
Astraea House is the headquarters of the Astraea Society on Elysian Road, Verdant. It is one of the seven grand mansions built between 1900 and 1920 by wealthy occultist families and is the best preserved of the seven. Its founding governance charter requires the original interior and exterior to be maintained as much as reasonably possible, a stipulation that traces back to the family connection between the Astraea Society's founding members and the Verdant Preservation Society official who oversaw the transfer of the Elysian Road properties. Most other Elysian Road houses were significantly altered during conversion to student housing. Astraea House was not.
Description
Astraea House has 13 bedrooms accommodating approximately 26 sisters per semester. The house's most architecturally significant space is its art deco basement, used for Astraea Society tribunal proceedings and ritual. The basement features burl walnut and ash paneling with inlaid angular symbols, a marble floor with jade and ebony flourishes, and a large pentacle inlaid at the center. An antique crescent table is used during tribunal proceedings. The basement normally functions as a recreation space when not in use for formal purposes. The candlelit tribunal atmosphere is established specifically for disciplinary proceedings.
The backyard includes a sunken fire pit with stone seating, a volleyball net, and lawn furniture. The backyard terminates directly at Charter Oak Forest, making Astraea House one of two known Verdant properties whose boundary meets the forest directly, the other being the Verdant Scholars Memorial Grove.
History
The house was built between 1900 and 1920 as part of the Elysian Road development by wealthy families with occult ties. It was among the properties acquired by the Verdant Preservation Society in the late 1940s following the Roarke collapse and the abandonment of the street. When the VPS transferred the properties to ETC's student organizations in the late 1970s following the Greek ban, the founding member of the Astraea Society whose father was the VPS Treasurer ensured the house was transferred with a preservation covenant attached. The pentacle in the basement predates the Astraea Society's occupancy. Its original purpose has not been established.
Connection to the SSU
Astraea House is the primary domestic setting of Making the Grades: Kelly's Unveiling. Kelly Spaihts lives here during the novel's events. The tribunal scene, the paddle punishment, and the Strip Relay party all take place here. The basement pentacle predates the student organization's occupancy and connects the house to the broader occult history of Elysian Road without any current member being aware of it.
Canon notes
- The original builder and occultist family who occupied the house have not been established
- The original purpose of the basement pentacle has not been established
- Whether the house has any active supernatural significance beyond its historical connections has not been established