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Overview

The Del Rey Fraternity, Incorporated, founded in 1903 as the Del Rey Club, purchased this clubhouse in 1924, and remained here until the group disbanded in 06/1967. The San Francisco architectural firm of Masten and Hurd designed this two-floor Spanish Colonial residence in 1924. Masten (1886-1973) joined Del Rey as a Freshman in 1909, and became an officer in the group during his first year at the University of California. (See the University of California Yearbook, Blue and Gold, 1909, p. 372.) The fraternity sold the property on 10/11/1967.

Building History

Following the dissolution of the Del Rey Fraternity, Reverend Sun Myung Moon's (1920-2012) Unification Church occupied the building during the 1970s. Later, the Yun Lin Temple Cultural Center of Black Sect Tantric Buddhism procured it and continues to occupy it in 2018.

Building Notes

The group was the subject of a notable law suit, Del Rey Fraternity, Inc. v. Commissioner, litigation that occurred in the US Tax Court in 1975. While the group dissolved in 1967, interest from group accounts was distributed as scholarship money to the descendants of members between 1968 and 1971. This disbursement of income ran afoul of US Tax authorities who claimed in court that the fraternity lost its tax-free status when it ceased to operate in 1967.

PCAD id: 22457