Delta Gamma - University of Missouri

MU MESSENGER 2 ON THE EXTERIOR: Features of note include our traditional brick. Since the original brick is no longer made, we searched high and low for a brick that would emulate the traditional red of our original house. The curvature of the front porch signifies the bow of our anchor and beautiful columns adorn our porch just as with our former home. One should note the attic windows, shutters, keystones and chimneys; they were all carefully selected to give the new house a historic feel. Engraved bricks from our Ship of Dreams campaign now border the gardens in front of the chapter house. Our restored, lighted anchor again shines like a beacon over the Providence Road entrance and is welcoming all to Greek Town. IN THE INTERIOR: Our floor plan is very similar to the original. We maintained the traditional vestibule opening into the grand entry and staircase. The design of the grand staircase was very intentional. We kept it open from basement to second floor just as it was in our former home, but on a grander scale. Our beautiful, original baby grand piano adorns the entry on the first floor. The formal living room again sits at the south end of the house. Most of the furnishings in this room are from our original home. Upholstered pieces were recovered and other furniture was refurbished to maintain the character of our home. Tones of bronze, pink and blue were used to create a timeless, sophisticated look. Historic needlepoints were reframed, as well as our beloved Pinkie (by Thomas Lawrence), which hangs on the wall to left as you enter the room. The anchor room remains at the north end of the house. We enlarged this space for sisters to gather, socialize, watch television or relax. Just as in the original anchor room, we have a fireplace. Along this wall we replicated the vertical paneling that was on same wall in the original anchor room. To the right of the fireplace, note the framed history showing, among other things, a 1937 Life magazine article featuring Delta Gamma, as well as photos of our previous homes, charter members and first new member class (pledge class). We used navy blue in this room as a salute to our anchor and nautical roots. Our most prized find, when packing up the former chapter house, was the actual blueprints from the original house. We framed them, and they now hang on the west wall of the anchor room. The Burnam entrance was expanded to accommodate the larger number of collegiate sisters living in the house; off of this entrance is the heritage room. All furniture in there is from the original house, including the large brass chandelier. The colors, while darker, are purposefully in the bronze, pink and blue family. Note that much of our history is on display in the original cabinetry. Donor plaques and other important Delta Gamma honors have permanent residence in the heritage room. In the heritage room, all furniture is from the original house, including the large brass chandelier. Colors, while darker, are purposefully in the bronze, pink and blue family. Note that much of our history is on display in the original cabinetry. Donor plaques and other important Delta Gamma honors have permanent residence in the heritage room. One of the most important things when planning the house was to bring the dining room up from the basement to the first floor. We are very pleased with this space, where sisters share meals and bond, and which is now at the center of our home. Again, we used neutrals on the walls and floors with navy on the chairs and lovely wood dining tables to bind this space together with the surrounding rooms. The east end of the dining room is anchored by a large round table with two upholstered host chairs. This table is notable as it was constructed from the elm tree that graced the corner of our lot on Providence Road. Beautiful sconces provide indirect light and bring warmth to the room. We have two special niches in the dining room to display our awards and plaques. We are especially proud of the songbook pages we found and enlarged to frame. These hang on the north and south walls of the dining room and are very special to us because of Mu Delta Gamma's very rich musical heritage. We purchased an exquisite china cabinet to display all our lovely china and silver, which had been stored away for many years and was rediscovered when we packed up the old house. We are so pleased to showcase these beautiful pieces from our past. Our serving area and 24-hour kitchen are very functional but separate from the dining room so that formal meals and events can maintain a gracious atmosphere. As you move to the lower level, large composites of our current DG sisters hang on these walls. We were thrilled to build a chapter room large enough to accommodate all the collegiate members. Before you enter the chapter room on the lower level, there is a console table centered against the wall; it was the original staircase railing on the balcony at 900 S. Providence and a wonderful piece of our history. Inside the chapter room we enlarged composites from years past and canvas wrapped them to adorn the walls; we love that our alumnae have a presence in this important room. Surrounding the chapter room are study rooms, chapter management team rooms, an office for the house corporation board, a room for crafting, a large storage area for the chapter and our house director's apartment. Each of the second and third floors has a central common area for gathering, studying and watching television. Shared bathrooms and laundry facilities are also on each floor. The bedrooms accommodate two to four women in a room. A New Home for Mu Chapter DG by Trisha Lampitt Stahly '73 and Donna Thompson Buchert '71 A marble table made from the landing staircase that was in the old chapter house and sits at the entrance to our new chapter room.

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