Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity House
Also known as: Alpha Sigma Phi,Tau Delta Phi,Chi Phi Fraternity Houses
Why it's listed
Built in 1906 at 313 E. John Street in Champaign, this brick fraternity house has a slight Tudor influence, with gabled pavilions, shouldered parapets, sandstone lintels and sills, and a one-story entry porch with square brick posts. Marion F. Tackett, a local realtor who leased many early fraternity and sorority houses, built it for the Delta Pi chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon, using plans drawn by chapter member and 1906 alumnus E. G. Oldefest. Alpha Sigma Phi bought it in 1921 and occupied it until 1929, followed by Tau Delta Phi through 1939. After 1940 it served as a private dormitory until Greek use resumed in 1983, and Chi Phi purchased it in 1986. Apart from a small one-story south addition and minor code-related changes, the building retains its exterior form and much of its oak interior woodwork and staircase. It is valued as an early surviving example of campus fraternity housing at the University of Illinois.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion A as an early surviving example of the Greek Letter Society movement, which shaped higher education on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. It kept its design integrity and was home to several fraternities over time, reflecting the campus fraternity scene.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 90000114, listed February 22, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 313 E. John, Champaign |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | February 22, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000114 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1906 - 1939 |
| Architect / builder | Oldefest, E.G. |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a fraternity house (Chi Phi, which purchased it in 1986); it was a private dormitory from 1940 until 1983. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.10908, -88.23369 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 90000114.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20711238
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.