Years ago, when I was still studying architecture, I did a documentation on our chapter house, but some of the early history was incomplete because early records were lost in a fire. Our house was built on farmland in the 1870s, and was probably the original farmland on the property. The property along Riverside between New York and Wheeling all belonged to one family and was, over the years, gradually parcelled off. The families who subsequently lived there included the County's chief surveyor; the Goddard's who owned a grocery wholesaler, and the Hitchcock's (Mr. Hitchcock was the vice-president of Warner Gear (still existant) and was on the boards of several Muncie banks. He and his wife bought the house and lived there while they built the original Lambda Chi Alpha house (1927). Once that house was finished, their son and his family lived there. The son died young and unexpectedly, possibly in the house. By 1953 it was being used as a boarding house for Ball State students, and our chapter rented it in 1958 and bought it in 1961.
Our chapter dates back to 1926, and rented several houses (all since demolished during University expansion) before buying the house on Fraternity Row. An alum from the class of 1932 once told me a funny story about one of the old houses. The house set across the street from the one women's dormitory in those days, and some of the female residents went to Miss Grace DeHority, the Dean of Women, to complain because they could see the men undressing through the windows of the house across the street. Now, Miss DeHority was instrumental in the founding of our chapter, and was recognized (and initiated) as a member of our local fraternity, so Phi Sigs were "her boys". Miss DeHority went to the women's hall to check on their complaint. Upon looking out the window, Miss DeHority said that she couldn't see into the windows of the fraternity house at all. At that point, one of the girls exclaimed "But Miss DeHority, you're not standing on the chair!!!!"
That one always tickles me!
By the way, our house is haunted, but I've posted that story probably at least 2x.