The Carter House
The Carter House, an English Cotswold-style home at the corner
of Sunset Avenue and Blue Ridge Road, was built in 1932 for jeweler
CB Dyer. It was bought several years later by Lawrence Carter of
the Carter-Lee Lumber Company, and the Carter family lived in the
home until Butler University acquired it in 1974.
The first renovations under the University's ownership began in
the 1980s and the director of facilities, Ed Lyons, resided in the
home during this time. Over the years, the Carter House was used by
the University as office and meeting space and served as a
residence for several administrators. It became the official
presidential residence in 2001 with the arrival of President Bobby
Fong. More renovations occurred during his tenure, which brought
the home to its current size of 3,500 square feet, including two
stories and a basement.
Butler President James Danko and Bethanie Danko moved into the
home in 2011. They made some cosmetic updates to the home,
including new paint, flooring, cabinets, and lighting. They also
modified the back patio to expand entertainment space during the
warmer months. The Dankos entertain over 600 people per year in the
home for University functions, and it is common practice for
students to be invited to the home for snacks and casual
conversation with the Dankos.