A Brief History of 1870 Orrington Avenue

The Xi (pronounced Zee) chapter of Chi Omega sorority was founded at Northwestern University on December 6, 1901. It is the eighth chapter of the Chi Omega national sorority, which was founded in 1895 at the University of Arkansas. Prior to the 1920s Northwestern University offered its female students few housing options. Most women lived in the "old Willard Hall" dormitory (now the Music Administration Building), in boarding houses or private homes in Evanston.

In the early 1920s NorthwesternÍs sororities enthusiastically embraced a movement to create a womenÍs housing quadrangle. Each sorority agreed to raise one quarter of the total construction cost (about $60,000 per house) to create 14 sorority houses bounded by Emerson Street, University Place, Sheridan Road, and Sherman Avenue. In 1924 the North Shore Chi Omega Association was formed to act as the chapter's House Board that would manage the maintenance, operation, and upkeep of the house. By 1926 the sorority's fundraising efforts—including food and rummage sales, bazaars, and sales of cook books, hand-tinted Chi Omega "Symphony" cards, and Christmas cards—raised more than $21,000.

The University's architect James Gamble Rogers designed all of the buildings in the residential quadrangle with the exception of North and South Mid Quads, which were added in 1981. Mr. Rogers also designed Dyche Stadium (1926) —now called Ryan Field, Deering Library (1932) and Scott Hall (1938). Each of the buildings in the women's quadrangle exemplify Rogers' eclectic "Collegiate Gothic" style that included picturesque composition and steeply pitched roofs. Constructed with Lannon-Wisconsin limestone with Bedford stone trim and a slate roof, the 24-plus room Chi Omega house was completed in1927.

The Collegiate Gothic architectural styling linked Northwestern to the European educational tradition and to the well-established east-coast institutions of higher learning. The Chi Omega house is located in the westernmost of two quads that comprised the women's quadrangle. Rogers emphasized the importance of the courtyard in his quadrangle housing design by placing the front entrance to each building inside the courtyard. Residents and guests of the quadrangle enter the block through arched entrances or narrow pathways that meander between buildings.

The porches mediate between the shared space of the courtyard and the realm of each sorority. The front entrance welcomes visitors with a stone carving of the sorority's crest above the doorway. The design in the ornate stamped copper down spout is repeated in the stone carving above the main entrance. The green awning graces the front of the porch to provide a sheltered retreat from the inner quad.

The house was first furnished for about $10,000 in 1927. The furnishing were described by alumnae as "home-like, harmonious, and substantial, rather than extravagant." In the early 1930s, the living room was featured in Better Homes and Gardens "to show how charmingly Early American furniture can make a home." Nearly 75 years later, the dÚcor continues to reflect a home-like appeal for the 100-plus members of the sorority. Every 5 to 10 years, the house undergoes a modernization effort to update the decor and meet the ever-changing needs of the sorority. For example, private phones in students' rooms replaced hallway pay phones in the 1970s. In the mid-1990s, Internet ports were added to each room to provide high-speed Internet access comparable to that of the University's residence halls. The current decor in the living room was completed in the mid-1990s and the sun porch was refurbished in 2000.

The first floor is designed for entertaining and large group functions. The vestibule and reception hall opens into the spacious living room. Through the archway, the eye is drawn to the handsome fireplace surrounded by a wooden mantel.The living room features sorority memorabilia including the organization's 1901 charter, recent sorority composites, and framed photographs of current members. The south side of the living room opens into an inviting sunroom that was added in 1960.

The living room features ornate plasterwork on ceiling. The 3 layers of borders (ivy, egg and dart, and standard dentil molding) create an elaborate effect. The dentil molding border was repeated in the wooden mantel piece—added about 30 years ago—that surrounds the fireplace. French doors along the western-wall lead to TV room that provides more intimate space for residents to relax.

The western hallway leads to several rooms including a study, a guest restroom, and a 2-room apartment with a private bath for the sorority's house director. The house director, also known as the "house mom," is the only full-time employee of the sorority. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the sorority house operations including the kitchen and housekeeping staff and acting as a liaison with Northwestern and City of Evanston officials. The two bedrooms on the first floor were recently converted from guestrooms. At one time, the rooms provided living space for additional live-in staff.

The basement level houses the kitchen, dining room, study room, laundry room, and storage areas. The ample dining room and adjoining study room enables the space to be transformed for chapter meetings and other large events. The fireplace in the dining room features the Greek letters "Chi" and "Omega" etched above the hearth and owls, the sorority's symbol, on either side of it. In 1998 the kitchen underwent a major $750,000 renovation that modernized it to its current, state-of the-art configuration.

In 1966 the fourth floor attic was converted into one triple and three double occupancy sleeping rooms that expanded the capacity of the house from 27 to 35. The second and third floors have 2 triple-occupancy rooms, 8 double rooms and 6 singles. A 1998 conversion of a first floor guestroom and a "smoker's room" into sleeping rooms increased the capacity of the house to 41. In the past 75 years, the building has been home to more than 2000 collegians.

The house features bars on some of the windows for added security. In the early 1990s, an outdoor security phone was added to the main entrance and eliminated the necessity for the elaborate and antiquated bell ringing system that announced visitors to residents. To this day, all men guests (excluding dads) are not allowed on the sleeping floors of the sorority house except on special occasions like move-in day. Sorority members are not allowed to have alcohol in the house at any time. Restrictions such as these contribute to the secure and wholesome living experience that sororities offer.