The stone chimney of the fraternity house previously owned by the Phi Mu Delta fraternity, 500 S. Allen St., smashed into an adjacent home at about 11 a.m. yesterday.

No injuries were reported.

A demolition crew was working to tear down the former fraternity structure at the time of the accident.

"I can't even look at it," said Jeanie Frank, owner of the home that was damaged.

Frank was in the back of her house when the accident occurred. Her 19-year-old son was also home.

Most of the damage occurred in what was the second-floor master bedroom of the home.

A gaping hole on the second story, about 5 feet wide, was visible from the street. The dining room area on the first story was also damaged.

Large gray stones covered the ground between the two houses.

Earthmovers Unlimited Inc. was demolishing the former fraternity house.

The property at 500 S. Allen St. had been a fraternity house for about 80 years, said Rob Meinen, president of Sigma Tau Gamma's alumni association.

Its former owners, Phi Mu Delta fraternity, vacated the property in 1998 after it was condemned by State College borough officials. Two suspected arsons in 1999 and 2000 caused further damage to the structure.

Sigma Tau Gamma currently leases a house at 243 S. Pugh St., but the fraternity has always planned to move into a newer, larger house as soon as possible, Meinen said.

The existing fire damage to the former fraternity house may be the reason that the accident occurred, John Niebauer Jr., president of Earthmovers Unlimited Inc., said.

"This generally will not happen [even when the home is very old] but when the structural integrity of a building is compromised this might happen," Niebauer said.

The house was damaged by arson fires in December 1999 and July 2000.

Jason Tremblay, of State College, witnessed the accident.

"I knew that they were going to be demolishing the house so I went up with my camera to take pictures," Tremblay said. "It was kind of interesting watching the guy working the wrecker tear it down."

The man operating the wrecker was in the process of tearing down the roof of the building before the accident occurred, Tremblay said.

"At this time the whole front of the house was standing at that time," Tremblay said. "But the guy working the wrecker was building a ramp [from the debris] to reach the roof to tear the rest down. He got a hold of the roof and the building toppled towards the wrecker he was operating."

There was a loud crash and a lot of dust after the collapse, Tremblay said. They did not notice the house adjacent to the former fraternity house was damaged until they walked to the front of the building.

The Franks' home sits about 7 feet from the chain link fence that surrounds the fraternity house.

"I didn't feel anything," Frank said while wiping tears from her cheeks. "I remember watching it happen and thinking that it was going to miss the house or ricochet off the side. I never thought this would happen."

Plans were under way to rebuild a fraternity house for Sigma Tau Gamma on the sight.

"We received a note on our door Thursday from the president of the alumni association [for Sigma Tau Gamma]," Frank said. "They have been really good about informing us about building plans every step of the way."

"I really feel terrible," Meinen said. "I am really sick over this."

The Franks' plan to stay with friends and family while they wait to have their home repaired.

"We are going to be fine," Drew Frank, Jeanie Frank's husband said.

The Franks' plan on documenting of all the damage.

"We are going to take pictures of everything that had been damaged," Drew Frank said. "Every broken lamp -- everything."

Collegian staff writer Bridget Smith contributed to this report.