Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority House
Why it's listed
Located at the corner of South Lincoln Avenue and Ohio Street, just east of the University of Illinois campus, this sorority house was designed in 1928 by the Chicago firm Howard Shaw Associates. It is an asymmetrical, U-shaped, two-and-one-half story building in the English Revival style, built of rough ashlar limestone with Bedford stone window surrounds, casement windows, half-timbering, a steep asphalt-shingle roof with dormers, and a deeply recessed pointed-arch entrance. A stone coat of arms of the sorority marks the front, and a statue of Minerva stands at the northwest corner. Inside, a great hall, a living room with a carved stone fireplace, and an enclosed porch survive. A compatible yellow brick addition of 1958 sits at the rear, out of public view. The building is also tied to the Beta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, whose members earned scholastic honors and held campus leadership roles. It is one of several Greek houses along Lincoln Avenue.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as a fine example of English Revival architecture by a noted Chicago firm. It also documents the long record of the Beta Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, whose members were active in campus honors, social life and service. The house is part of a multiple property listing on fraternity and sorority houses at the Urbana-Champaign campus.
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 04000074, listed February 25, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1102 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | February 25, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000074 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Howard Shaw Associates |
| Architectural style | Late 19th & 20th Century Revivals: English Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a sorority residence; a yellow brick addition was built at the rear in 1958 and some windows have been replaced. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.10349, -88.21910 (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 04000074.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20710948
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.