The Whitley building is located in the Historic Neighborhood of Elon University in Elon, North Carolina. Present day, the building serves as a venue for lectures, concerts and performances. Added in 2001, the building features a Casavant pipe organ. In addition to the auditorium, the building also houses faculty offices for the English department. In the early 1970’s, Whitley received a renovation, which restored the building to its original beauty and elegance. The updates included fresh paint, modern wiring, upgraded sound systems, improved lighting, and updates to studios and offices. The funds to construct the building were given by trustee Col. J. M. Darden, however controversy surrounded this. In return for the $50,000 Mr. Darden contributed to the school, Elon agreed to pay his life insurance (a $50,000 policy). Following a loan from the Virginia Trust Company, the school had to put the bonds up as collateral and void its agreement with Mr. Darden, causing Darden to surrender his deed. Elon, however, tried to give Mr. Darden bond notes, and not bonds, which are worth nothing. Upon realizing this, Mr. Darden demanded the bonds and Elon eventually complied. Following Darden’s death, Elon tried to solicit $30,000 from the family to retain naming rights, but the family did not comply. Although renaming the building was up for discussion among the board of trustees, it remained Whitley. It is rumored that the Whitley Building has a ghost of a middle-aged man who has been seen in one of the old music rooms for over eight decades.