Sigma Alpha Epsilon Building
About this property
Sigma Alpha Epsilon Building is a historic residence located at 24 East Stewart Road on Oak Hill in Columbia, Missouri. It is the chapter house of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at the University of Missouri. The site was recognized by the Columbia Historic Preservation Commission as one of the city's most notable historic properties in 2004. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. The original house on Oak Hill was platted in Columbia in 1820, and later served as a hospital during the Civil War era. In the late 19th century, Oak Hill became home to the University Military Academy, sometimes known as Welch Military Academy. The academy originally occupied twenty acres centered on an elevated hilltop near the western edge of the University of Missouri. The now defunct Military Academy was chartered in 1894 and operated by John B. Welch. In 1908, construction was completed on a new structure for the Welch Military Academy, built on same site to replace the structure lost to the fire. Welch continued to operate his military academy in the new building until he retired in 1915. According to the 1922 Savitar (University of Missouri Yearbook), Welch Hall was leased, remodeled, and furnished by the Women's Student Government Association of the University of Missouri in the 1920–21 academic year. It was able to be occupied by the holiday season that year. It was designed to be a co-operative house, the girls living there had direct control of the house under the supervision of the Women's Student Government Association. In 1926, the building ceased operations as a dormitory, because Mrs. Welch sold the property to local real estate developer Judge Stewart and his sons. They converted the property to a hotel and campground known as Oak Hill Hotel. Sigma Alpha Epsilon purchased the main building and a significant portion of the surrounding land from Stewart on April 29, 1929. The fraternity renovated the former hotel into its chapter house in 1929, using architect and fraternity brother David Frederick Wallace. Fire destroyed the roof and much of the interior of the structure in 1965, but the house was rebuilt almost exactly and was rededicated in September 1966. Sigma Alpha Epsilon continued to occupy Welch Hall for the rest of the century. On April 3, 2008, Sigma Alpha Epsilon was suspended by the university for a minimum of four years following a long history of disciplinary violations. As a result of the suspension of its Missouri chapter, the SAE house corporation agreed to lease the chapter house to the Missouri chapter of Acacia fraternity. The parties agreed on a two-year lease with the option of adding an additional two-year extension. Acacia took possession of the property on June 1 of that year. Acacia was unable to fulfill lease conditions, and the fraternity vacated the property in the first year of the lease.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Sigma Alpha Epsilon Building
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Questions about this property
When was Sigma Alpha Epsilon Building listed on the National Register?
Sigma Alpha Epsilon Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 19, 2014.
What type of historic resource is Sigma Alpha Epsilon Building?
Sigma Alpha Epsilon Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Sigma Alpha Epsilon Building?
The period of significance for Sigma Alpha Epsilon Building is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Sigma Alpha Epsilon Building?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Sigma Alpha Epsilon Building will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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