Preservation of Founding Location?

naraht · #1 07-31-2014, 11:51 AM

What state of preservation is the founding location (at your founding school)?

I could see everything from

XYZ Fraternity was founded in 1870 at a room under the Rotunda at University of Virginia and the room is kept as it was in 1875 and any changes to the room have to be approved by the Virginia State Historical Society.

to

UVW Sorority was founded in 1880 in the dormitory at Geneva School for Girls which went bankrupt in 1905. The property became a home for unwed mothers for the local Catholic diocese and the dormitory burned down in 1920. The property was eventually bought by the State in 1965 and has been used since as a Juvenile Detention Facility with most of the land that the dormitory sat on contains the Staff parking lot.

For Alpha Phi Omega, the building in which we were founded still exists, but the School has both renamed the building (Brainerd Hall is now Hogg Hall) and renovated the floor, so the room no longer exists.

Sen's Revenge · #2 07-31-2014, 12:06 PM

Alpha Phi Alpha historic sites. I am not sure of the status of this project.

Kevin · #3 07-31-2014, 02:01 PM

Sigma Nu's birthplace was in front of a limestone outcropping on VMI's parade grounds. The school, in the early 20th century, expanded the parade grounds and removed that limestone from their property. There is a monument to Sigma Nu next to the parade grounds as well as a portion of that outcropping, "The Rock," which sits in front of our international HQ.

The Rock

The monument on the parade grounds at VMI

TSteven · #4 07-31-2014, 02:42 PM

The Founding Site

"Sigma Chi's most important historical monument is the site of the Fraternity's founding, located in Oxford, Ohio.

The small room, marked on the outside by a plaque between its two windows, is on the second floor of a building on the north side of High Street at the town square, and was the rooming place of Founders Runkle and Caldwell during their years of enrollment as undergraduates at Miami University. The badge of Sigma Chi was designed in this room and many of the earliest meetings of the Alpha Chapter were held here.

In 1973, the Founding Site was purchased and donated to the Sigma Chi Foundation by 41st Grand Consul William P. Huffman Denison 1911. It was renovated and rededicated in 1993."

ARKTTKA · #5 07-31-2014, 03:50 PM

Pi Kappa Alpha was founded in room 47 West Range at the University of Virginia (March 1, 1868). Today, the Range is housing for select graduate students with the exception of 47 West Range. Each year Pi Kappa Alpha selects a member from our Alpha chapter to live in this room.

Not only is this the room in which we were founded ,but it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

honeychile · #6 07-31-2014, 08:04 PM

Both Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu have had their chapter rooms memorialized in the Canonball House at Georgia Wesleyan.

The Adelphean Room (for Alpha Delta Pi):

The Philomathean Room (for Phi Mu):

The picture of the Philomathean Room may be a little faded, and may be more pink than shown. I know that the Adelphean Room has all original furnishings, but don't know about the Philomathean Room. I assume that it is also original.

MysticCat · #7 07-31-2014, 09:07 PM

Sinfonia was founded at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston in 1898. At the time, NEC occupied the former St. James Hotel on Franklin Square in Boston’s South End.

In 1903 or so, the Conservatory moved to its current location on Gainsborough Street in Boston. The building where we were founded is now public housing for the elderly, the Franklin Square House Apartments. So, count us in with the groups that have no chance of preserving their birthplace.

But GCers around my age or older may remember the great television show St. Elsewhere from the 1980s. The old NEC—our founding place—served as the exterior of the show’s St. Eligius Hospital. You can see it in the opening theme from the show here. (From Season 3 -- check the cast.) The theme music for the opening was written by Dave Grusin, a 1953 initiate of our Beta Chi Chapter at the University of Colorado.

misscherrypie · #8 08-01-2014, 05:43 AM

The Sunflower Hotel, where the first Beta Sigma Phi chapter met in Abilene, KS is on the National Register of Historic places today and is maintained. I don't know in which room our founding sisters met....but it would be interesting to find out.

nyapbp · #9 08-02-2014, 08:03 PM

Pi Beta Phi was founded on April 28, 1867 in the home of "Major" Jacob Holt (he really wasn't a major, but he had previously worked at West Point and picked up the nickname). The southwest upstairs bedroom was rented by Ada Bruen and Libbie Brooks while they attended Monmouth College (this was in the days before the college had dormitories). Pi Beta Phi was founded as I.C. Sorosis; Pi Beta Phi was its Greek motto. It was fashioned after the men's fraternities at Monmouth.

In the late 1930s, the home came into Pi Beta Phi's hands when it was purchased by a Pi Phi's dad at a delinquent tax auction. In the early 1940s, it opened as a memorial to Pi Beta Phi's founders.

naraht · #10 08-03-2014, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ARKTTKA

Pi Kappa Alpha was founded in room 47 West Range at the University of Virginia (March 1, 1868). Today, the Range is housing for select graduate students with the exception of 47 West Range. Each year Pi Kappa Alpha selects a member from our Alpha chapter to live in this room.

Not only is this the room in which we were founded ,but it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

This was *probably* the one I was thinking of when I came up with XYZ, but I'm not sure.

NutBrnHair · #11 08-03-2014, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by honeychile

Both Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu have had their chapter rooms memorialized in the Canonball House at Georgia Wesleyan.

Point of clarification, the Canonball House is an historic house in Macon, but it is not located on the campus of Wesleyan College.

ARKTTKA · #12 08-04-2014, 01:39 AM

Nut, being an Alum of the U of A, Chi Omega (Psi) will always hold a special place in my heart. Are there any of the founding era locations still in existence? Obviously the historic XO chapter house and the fabulous XO Greek Theatre are still in use.

Btw...before any feathers (no pun intended) are ruffled, ALL sororities at the U of A are wonderful and many are considered top chapters within their own GLOs.

ARKTTKA · #13 08-04-2014, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naraht

This was *probably* the one I was thinking of when I came up with XYZ, but I'm not sure.

Naraht, thought so..but wasn't 100% sure!

naraht · #14 08-04-2014, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ARKTTKA

Naraht, thought so..but wasn't 100% sure!

Not sure many schools have as much of campus as a Historical site as UVA, (maybe College of William and Mary)

On the flip side, it must have been Delta Gamma I was thinking about for XYZ sorority. They are the only sorority that was founded at a "... School for Girls". Note, I can't find what happened to "Lewis School for Girls", hoping a Delta Gamma can fill us in.

NutBrnHair · #15 08-04-2014, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ARKTTKA

Nut, being an Alum of the U of A, Chi Omega (Psi) will always hold a special place in my heart. Are there any of the founding era locations still in existence? Obviously the historic XO chapter house and the fabulous XO Greek Theatre are still in use.

Btw...before any feathers (no pun intended) are ruffled, ALL sororities at the U of A are wonderful and many are considered top chapters within their own GLOs.

The Vincenheller's home (Jean was a Founder) was significant as well as the Holcombe (Jobelle was a Founder) residence. I don't believe either is still standing. Jobelle asked Allie Simonds (another Founder) to be a member on the stair landing of Old Main, which of course is still there.

I need to do some further research on the homes.