Delta Upsilon Fraternity House
Why it's listed
Delta Upsilon Fraternity House, at 312 East Armory Avenue in Champaign, was built in 1926-1927 to a design by Leonard Stuebe of Danville, a 1903 University of Illinois graduate. It cost about $100,000. The two-and-one-half-story building combines dark English bond brick with half-timbering, a massive brick chimney, steeply pitched gables and stone detailing around the south door. Inside, the living room fireplaces have Tudor-arched limestone openings, and the dining room has wood wainscot about five feet high. The house is significant for two reasons. It represents the Greek Letter Society movement at the University of Illinois, which by 1928 was the largest in the nation, and it shows how fraternity houses became the main form of organized student housing on campus. It is also a strong example of Tudor Revival style. Alterations include a 1964 kitchen addition, replacement windows and a metal stairwell, but the original exterior and upper-floor room layouts remain largely intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an excellent example of the fraternity and sorority house property type tied to the Greek Letter Society movement at the Urbana-Champaign campus (Criterion A). It is also an excellent example of Tudor Revival architecture with some of the finest interior woodwork of any Greek house on campus (Criterion C).
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 90000749, listed May 21, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 312 E. Armory Ave., Champaign |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | May 21, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000749 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1926-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Stuebe, Leonard (Architect) |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as part of an active fraternity; the building retains its historic and structural integrity apart from a 1964 rear kitchen addition, window replacements and some interior changes for code compliance. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.10566, -88.23387 (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 90000749.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20711241
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.