Delta Psi, Alpha Chapter building

Last updated

Delta Psi, Alpha Chapter
Delta-psi-alpha-434-riverside.jpg
Delta Psi, Alpha Chapter in 2009
Location map United States Manhattan.png
Red pog.svg
USA New York location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location434 Riverside Drive, New York, New York, U.S.
Coordinates 40°48′30″N73°57′59″W / 40.80833°N 73.96639°W / 40.80833; -73.96639
Built1898
Architect Henry Hornbostel and George Carnegie Palmer
Architectural style Beaux Arts and French Renaissance revival
NRHP reference No. 96000484 [1]
Added to NRHPApril 26, 1996

The Delta Psi, Alpha Chapter fraternity house is located at 434 Riverside Drive in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. [2] [3] It was purpose built in 1898 and continues to serve the Columbia chapter of the Fraternity of Delta Psi (aka St. Anthony Hall), a social and literary fraternity. [4] [5] [3]

Contents

The chapter house was designed by two prominent New York City architects, Henry Hornbostel and George Carnegie Palmer. [5] [2] At this time of its construction, the press described it as "the best appointed and most costly [fraternity] building that has ever been erected in the United States". [6]

For its architectural significance, the Delta Psi, Alpha Chapter building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 26, 1996. [2]

History

On March 23, 1897, the Alpha chapter of the Fraternity of Delta Psi (St. Anthony Hall) purchased a 36 feet (11 m) wide lot on 434 Riverside Drive from Harriet B. Hale. [7] The fraternity intended to build a new chapter house closer to Columbia University, which had recently moved to Morningside Heights. [7] The fraternity's previous Renaissance Revival style chapter house, designed in 1879 by fraternity member William Hamilton Russell of the firm of James Renwick Jr., was at 29 E. 28th Street. [8] [9] In addition to proximity to campus, the new site "afforded breathtaking views of the Hudson River and New Jersey palisades." [7]

In 1898, the fraternity hired the architectural firm of Wood, Palmer & Hornbostel to design its new chapter house. [5] The architects were Henry Hornbostel and George Carnegie Palmer; the latter was a member of the Columbia chapter of St. Anthony Hall. [5] [10] The architects filed plans with the city on August 26, 1898. [7] The plans called for a five-story building constructed of brick and stone, costing $45,000 (equivalent to $1,582,920 in today's money). [7] However, the actual cost of the chapter house was closer to $80,000 (equivalent to $2,814,080 in today's money). [7] [6] In 1899, the lot was worth another $20,000 (equivalent to $703,520 in today's money). [6]

At the time the fraternity built this chapter house, students did not live on Columbia's campus. Thus, "Delta Psi was not only the first fraternity to erect its own chapter house near the new Columbia campus, but, in 1899, when it was completed, it was one of only a handful of buildings on Morningside Heights where students could live." [3] Although two other fraternities also built chapter houses in the Morningside neighborhood, this is the only one still in use by a fraternity. [3] [5] Ultimately, land values increased so quickly that its cost outpriced student housing. [3] By 1905, Columbia University provided on-campus residences for students. [3]

Description

Alpha Chapter house, circa 1906 St. Anthony Hall Alpha Chapter House, Columbia University, circa 1906.jpg
Alpha Chapter house, circa 1906

The Alpha chapter house was designed in Beaux Arts and French Renaissance revival styles. [7] It is unknown why this style was chosen. The style may have been selected "because it was fashionable or because the red brick and limestone trim were similar to the materials used at Columbia's new buildings. However, the style was likely chosen because it resembled the earlier fraternity house on 28th Street, designed by James Renwick. [3]

The building has five stories and a basement. [3] The foundation is constructed of white Indiana limestone. [3] [6] The first story is completely faced with Indiana limestone, with the remaining stories being in red brick that is heavily trimmed in limestone. [3] [7] [6] Above the fourth story, there is a stone cornice surrounding a carved cartouche with the fraternity's Greek letters ΔΨ. [7] [3]

The entrance stoop has granite steps that lead through an arched entrance with ornate wrought iron gates. [3] The actual entrance is set back with a seven-foot wide covered porch or arcade that also served as a balcony for the second story (see photo to left). [7] [6] However, the original north-facing arcade and the windows above it are now blocked by an adjacent building that was constructed in 1910. [3] The upper levels are L–shaped with light courts to provide natural light and ventilation for all rooms. [3] [6] The second, third, and fourth floors have balconies with wrought iron railings. [7] [3] The fifth floor had copper covered dormers. [7] The pyramid-shaped roof is covered in slate. [3] There is also a small yard at the back of the building. [3]

The main entrance goes to an arcade that leads to an L–shaped hallway with Doric columns, paneled wainscotting, a dentil cornice, and wooden doors. [3] The first and second floors contain public spaces, including a coat room, reception room, parlors, a ballroom, a billiard room, a study, and a dining room. [3] [7] [11] [6] The main parlor on the first floor is trapezoidal–shaped and features a large marble fireplace and overmantel which is decorated with owls, shields, and decorative moldings. [3] The fireplace was given in memory of Joseph Wild Mackay who joined the fraternity in 1900. [3] [12] Also on the first floor, the Arts and Crafts style dining room stretches across the entire width of the building and features Dutch shelving, leaded windows, and wood wainscotting. [3] [7] The second-floor billiard room is still in use. [3] The stairs have slate treads and iron risers, railings, and balusters. [3] There were additional stairs for servants. [6]

The upper three levels include bedrooms for twenty to 25 fraternity members. [7] [11] [6] The third floor also includes a library with built-in shelving, a fireplace, and a molded plaster ceiling; the library is dedicated in memory of Henry Evelyn Pierrepont Jr, who joined the fraternity in 1896 and died in 1903. [3] [12] The basement includes a caretaker's room and a "secret chapter meeting room". [3]

In 1906, fraternity historian Edward Fermor Hall wrote that the Alpha chapter house was "beautifully decorated and finished in marble at a large expense." [7]

Noteworthy events

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American fraternity and sorority housing</span> Residential aspect of Greek life

North American fraternity and sorority housing refers largely to the houses or housing areas in which fraternity and sorority members live and work together. In addition to serving as housing, fraternity and sorority housing may also serve to host social gatherings, meetings, and functions that benefit the community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Cleaveland Cady</span> American architect (1837–1919)

Josiah Cleaveland Cady or J. Cleaveland Cady, was an American architect known for his designs in Romanesque and Rundbogenstil styles. He was also a founder of the American Institute of Architects.

Dartmouth College is host to many fraternities and sororities, and a significant percentage of the undergraduate student body is active in Greek life. In 2005, the school stated that 1,785 students were members of a fraternity, sorority, or gender-inclusive Greek house, comprising about 43 percent of all students, or about 60 percent of the eligible student body. Greek organizations at Dartmouth provide both social and residential opportunities for students and are the only single-sex residential option on campus. Greek organizations at Dartmouth do not provide dining options, as regular meal service has been banned in Greek houses since 1909.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Anthony Hall</span> American coed collegiate fraternity

St. Anthony Hall or the Fraternity of Delta Psi is an American fraternity and literary society. Its first chapter was founded at Columbia University on January 17, 1847, the feast day of Saint Anthony the Great. The fraternity is a non–religious, nonsectarian organization. In 1879, William Raimond Baird's American College Fraternities characterized the fraternity as having "the reputation of being the most secret of all the college societies." A modern writer says the fraternity is "a cross between Skull and Bones and a Princeton eating club, with a large heaping of Society and more than a dash of Animal House." Nearly all chapters of St. Anthony Hall are coed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morningside University</span> Methodist college in Sioux City, Iowa, US

Morningside University is a private university affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1894 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, Morningside University has 21 buildings on a 68-acre (280,000 m2) campus in Sioux City. The Morningside College Historic District, which includes most of the campus, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Morningside College officially became Morningside University on June 1, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Phi</span> American collegiate fraternity

Delta Phi (ΔΦ) is a fraternity founded in 1827 at Union College in Schenectady, New York consisting of ten active chapters along the East Coast of the United States. The fraternity also uses the names "St. Elmo," "St. Elmo Hall," or merely "Elmo" because of its relation to Erasmus of Formia with some chapters known almost exclusively by one of these names on their respective campuses. Delta Phi was, after the Kappa Alpha Society and Sigma Phi Society, the third and last member of the Union Triad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beta Sigma Psi</span> American Lutheran college fraternity

Beta Sigma Psi National Lutheran Fraternity (ΒΣΨ), commonly known as Beta Sig, is a United States social organization for Lutheran college men. Founded at the University of Illinois in 1925, the fraternity has more than 7,500 initiated members. It has twelve chapters, primarily in the mid-west, and over 300 undergraduate members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Hornbostel</span> American architect

Henry Hornbostel was an American architect and educator. Hornbostel designed more than 225 buildings, bridges, and monuments in the United States. Twenty-two of his designs are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Oakland City Hall in Oakland, California and the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum and University Club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornell West Campus</span> Residential section of Cornell University

West Campus is a residential section of Cornell University's Ithaca, New York campus. As defined by the 2008 Master Plan, it is bounded roughly by Fall Creek gorge to the north, West Avenue and Libe Slope to the east, Cascadilla gorge and the Ithaca City Cemetery to the south, and University Avenue and Lake Street to the west. It now primarily houses transfer students, second year students, and upperclassmen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elliott and Stoddard Halls</span> Dormitory buildings in Oxford, OH

Elliott and Stoddard Halls are the two oldest remaining buildings on Miami University's Oxford Ohio campus today. Built in 1825 (Elliott) and 1836 (Stoddard), they were designed in the Federal style and modeled after Connecticut Hall at Yale University. They continue to be used as dormitory buildings, making them the two oldest college dormitories still in use in Ohio. They were the original dormitories on the campus and were built to house students who attended classes at Miami's campus. They have both been through a number of renovations, most recently in 2011. The dorms are located in between the two academic quads located in the center of Miami's campus. They face another landmark on the campus, the Miami University seal. Over time they have become landmarks on the campus and are considered two of the most prestigious dorms to live in. They are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, they house students in the Scholar Leaders program. The buildings are named for early Miami professors Charles Elliott and Orange Nash Stoddard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity House (University of Minnesota)</span> United States historic place

The Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity House in Minneapolis, Minnesota is the University of Minnesota chapter house of Phi Gamma Delta. The house, located just across University Avenue from the East Bank Campus, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its distinctive architecture, as well as its role in the development of fraternity housing in Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student housing</span>

Over 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students live in campus housing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during a regular school year. Forty residence halls are grouped into 16 residential communities across campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Anthony Hall House</span> Fraternity house in Philadelphia

St. Anthony Hall House is a historic fraternity house located in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the Delta chapter house for the social and literary Fraternity of Delta Psi for the University of Pennsylvania. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Anthony Hall (Hartford, Connecticut)</span> American fraternity building)

The Saint Anthony HallTrinity College chapter house is an historic fraternity building located at 340 Summit Street in Hartford, Connecticut. Built between 1877 and 1878, it is a significant early work of the American architect J. Cleaveland Cady. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in November 1985.

George Carnegie Palmer, was an American architect who specialized in civic and academic buildings across the United States. He best known for his work with the architect Henry F. Hornbostel. By 1904, Palmer & Hornbostel ranked "among the leading architects in the United States."

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 "National Register Digital Assets: Delta Psi, Alpha Chapter". National Register of Historic Places Digital Archive. National Park Service. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Dolkart, Andrew Scott (March 15, 1996). National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Delta Psi, Alpha Chapter (PDF). National Archives. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Our History". St. Anthony Hall. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Paonessa, Laurie (October 5, 2021). "Delta Psi, Alpha Chapter (St. Anthony Hall)". Clio: Your Guide to History. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "A New Chapter-House". Brooklyn Life. October 28, 1899. p. 5. Retrieved May 4, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Miller, Tom (January 22, 2021). "The 1899 St. Anthony Hall - 434 Riverside Drive". Daytonian in Manhattan. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  8. ↑ Miller, Tom (February 21, 2014). "The 1879 St. Anthony Club -- No. 29 East 28th Stree t". Daytonian in Manhattan. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  9. ↑ "St. Anthony Club". Six to Celebrate. New York City Historic Districts Council. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  10. ↑ Meyer, H. L. G. Catalog of the Members of the Fraternity of Delta Psi Revised and Corrected to July 1906. New York: Fraternity of Delta Psi, 1906 via Google Books
  11. 1 2 Sedgwick, John (October 9, 2015). "Inside the Legal Intrigue at Columbia's Elite, Secret Campus Society". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  12. 1 2 Meyer, H. L. G. Catalog of the Members of the Fraternity of Delta Psi Revised and Corrected to July 1906. New York: Fraternity of Delta Psi, 1906. pp. 47 and 50. via Google Books
  13. 1 2 "Suicide Due to Money Worries". The Boston Globe. July 11, 1915. p. 2. Retrieved March 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Harris, Sophie (January 29, 2018). "Vampire Weekend's Debut Album: 10 Things You Didn't Know". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.