Lambda Chi Alpha - University of Illinois

Special Edition Chi Zetagram 4 Saving Our Heritage fOr tHe future Salvaging Old Belongings for the New House T he decision to say goodbye to the bricks and mortar of our old house was difficult, but ultimately the only way to provide a state- of-the-art facility to last another 90 years. But choosing between keeping our history intact or providing a no-compromise future home for Chi Zeta was tough—so we decided to do both! Although our new chapter house will be top-notch, the Alumni Association and our architects insisted that it retain the character of its beloved predecessor. So the unique English design, with gables and distinctive sloped front entry, has been retained, resized, and modernized, but nearly indistinguishable from the original. And now the rest of our expanded new home will coordinate fully with this design. But there's more to history and heritage than just a look. And we're proud to tell you that we've taken steps to ensure our fraternity's irreplaceable past and treasures will be carried forward for future brothers to enjoy. Every one of our over 2,200 brothers has stepped across the large stone threshold of the front doorway at 209 East Armory and through the stone-lined arched doorway. As they approached, they saw stone emblems of both Lambda Chi and the U. of I. in the brickwork, and a coat of arms welcoming all guests. Inside, they were drawn to the custom grandfather clock gracing the foyer. In the large front room, the 1927-era carved stone coat of arms over the fireplace was distinctive, and the arched portal at the south end was likely even more meaningful to us all. Brothers, we have saved all of these treasured relics and more. They were carefully removed for restoration, and will continue to be part of Chi Zeta's home for decades to come. The front door will become a new entrance to what will be a grand front room, and the restored old clock will have a distinctive setting in the large, new entry. The stone emblems that graced the exterior will all be replaced in their original positions and the historical coat of arms will return to its place of honor over a new, grand fireplace. Although the plaster south portal could not itself be saved, the original 1927 oak threshold board—cracked and worn smooth by the shoes of all our brothers—was salvaged and will be placed into the floor of a new arched portal entrance, to be trod upon by future brothers. There were other elements of the original structure that were saved and we'll have some surprises for you that we know you'll enjoy when you see them. Although not everything could be transferred to our own new home, we are pleased to report that nothing of value has gone to waste, and every effort was made to best preserve our history. Before demolition, we worked with the Illinois Historical Preservation Association to assemble a detailed photo and factual history of the original 1927 structure. Copies of the formal report are now part of the permanent State of Illinois archives in Springfield, and we donated a duplicate copy to the University of Illinois archives in Urbana. In addition, we worked with the Preservation & Conservation Association of Champaign County, whose volunteers salvaged millwork and other pieces so they can have new life in other settings. And the basement fireplace will live on, lovingly extracted by the family of recent graduate and former High Phi Michael Schaefer '15 X2113 for a donation that is helping to fund our project! As councilman La Due noted at our groundbreaking, protecting our heritage has come at notable expense, but we know that it's well worth the time, effort, and cost. We're building our future while preserving our heritage; it doesn't get better than that. Front door surround and emblems ready for transfer to the new chapter house. Our historical coat of arms will be restored for use over new fireplace. Preservation & Conservation Association of Champaign County volunteers remove wainscoting. Recent graduate Michael Schaefer '15 X2113 and family with the fireplace they purchased. Tax-Deductible Opportunities O ur new chapter house is designed with a focus on education, and has qualified for greater tax benefits than originally expected. So we can pass this benefit along to you, our loyal alumni, while helping the campaign meet its 2016 needs. Now is the time to make your pledge, and accelerate payments this year as those payments will qualify for a tax deduction—but this year only! So consider sending in a gift using the enclosed pledge form TODAY, and take advantage of this great opportunity. Remember, all donation payments made in 2016 can qualify for federal tax deductibility! If you have specific questions, please reach out to our campaign coordinator at (785) 843-1661.

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