On the corner of Vermont Street and Lincoln Avenue in Urbana lies the yellow Zeta mansion. Looking at it from Lincoln Avenue, the paint looks faded and the house doesn’t appear to be anything special. However, looking at it from the side, it becomes clear that the house is incredibly large and the question is raised; what happened to Zeta and why is the house just going to waste?
Zeta came to the Illinois campus in 1921, however they did not obtain the house until 1926, after two prior house switches. The house is Norman French architectural style. It contained a chapter room, dining room, kitchen, living room, gallery, sunroom, music room, originally seventeen bedrooms, and two additional sleeping dorms. The house also has a grand spiral staircase upon entering the front door. The house was known to have held many weddings during the 1930s.
Although the house was already large, the house was expanded on October 1, 1961. Because the sorority owned the lot next door, the sorority expanded onto it to make room for more chapter members. The expansion was completed in 1963. The expansion included fourteen additional rooms which comfortably fit two girls each (making for a total of 31 bedrooms), a formal living room, an entry foyer, and a three-room house director’s suite. In addition to this expansion, there was an updated kitchen, and the basement was transformed into a lounge, laundry room, and late night study room. The house expanded by over 50 percent. Capacity of the house was known to be close to 80 women.
Zeta Tau Alpha paid off the house in 1988, and still completely owns the house, as a part of their housing corporation, which ensures that Zeta will always be in control of the land. The chapter struggled with internal relations in the '90s and chose to go into dormancy in 1993. However, unlike many chapters, the house did not go dormant because of a scandal, but rather chose to not participate in bid day in August of 1993. The chapter closed Dec. 6, 1993, and has not inhabited the house since. Beginning in 1994, Zeta leased the house to Theta Chi in an attempt to make it easier for Zeta to eventually move back in. However, Zeta has yet to come back to campus, and Theta Chi moved out of the house prior to the 2009-2010 academic year. Since 2009, the house has stood vacant.
In 2009, at the Zeta Day luncheon, according to the chapter’s website, after deciding not to continue the lease with Theta Chi and seeing all the repairs that the house would need to make, they dissolved the local housing corporation and handed the property to Zeta’s national housing corporation. Zeta remains in control of the house, but national assesses the maintenance and repairs that need to be made.
The house now remains vacant and a mystery to many. The house has been nominated to become an Urbana historic landmark twice, according to The News Gazette. However, it has never been approved because the house requires close to $2.5 million worth of repair, which could affect the outside of the house; something that landmark status does not allow for. The house now attracts many trespassers curious to see the interior of the house.
On Imgur this last November, many pictures of the inside of Zeta appeared. There are, otherwise, very few pictures on the Internet of the interior of the Zeta house. While the house is clearly deteriorated, it is still evident that the house, in its prime, would be amazing and that it is much larger than many houses currently on campus. It’s unclear if any sororities or fraternities will move into the house, or when the chapter will recolonize. However, when they do, it seems that their house will be worth checking out.
Information in this article was taken from the University of Illinois Archives within the Greek Chapter History Project Records.
