Kappa’s white house: Social hub since 1923
By Vivian Hughbanks
Eugene Kies was one of the earliest settlers of Moscow Township. A farmer by trade, he also bred racehorses. The Kies farm property was in Cambria Township, but Kies lived in the house that now houses the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority prior to the college’s acquisition of the property.
The Hillsdale Kappa chapter was founded in June of 1881.
“Six Delta Tau Delta men of Hillsdale College invited six girls to spend the afternoon at a picnic at Cold Spring Woods,” a history of the first 100 years of the Hillsdale Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter describes. “During the outing, the girls, envious of the good times described by the men, expressed the wish that they might belong to some national fraternity. The boys immediately suggested Kappa Kappa Gamma.”
Prior to moving into their current house, Kappas held their meetings at Sunnycrest, the home of President Mauck, which now houses the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.
In 1921, Kappa held two initiations. The first was held in the attic of Sunnycrest.
“It was so beautiful and inspiring that we all relived our initiation and pledged ourselves anew to our beautiful sisterhood,” the Kappa history describes.
Kappa Kappa Gamma moved into the old Kies home in 1923, dedicating a newly installed fireplace in the house to Frances Ball Mauck. Four years later, during the summer of 1927, the chapter remodeled the house, having saved money for the remodel since moving in.
“I remember truly feeling like I was coming home each day,” said Nancy Hankel ’09, now an active member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumnae Association in Los Angeles. “It’s one of those places where I had some of the funniest times of my life. ”
In 1945, the Kappas used the former Delta Sigma Phi house as an annex for entertaining. At dinnertime on Halloween the next year, the Kappas raided the Delta Tau Delta house, chaotically overturning furniture and rummaging through papers.
“When the boys found out, they promised a return visit, so extra locks were put on the doors and windows, and furniture placed against the same,” the Kappa history explains. “The next day, on returning from lunch, the girls found the house and the Annex looking like a cyclone had hit it.”
The fall of 1974 “got off to a big bang at the Kappa House literally.” According to the history, the Friday night of initiation week was interrupted by the basement flooding. In addition, the furnace was “belching smoke and making terrifying noises.” The Kappas evacuated, and maintenance came to clean up the water spill.
A large addition was completed on the south side of the house in 1979, doubling the size of the building as a whole.
Throughout the years, the house was redecorated many times, most often by interior decorating majors, or alumnae.
“To go along with our beautiful new addition, we now have a redecorated living room and dining room,” the Kappa History reports. “At long last, the upside-down pineapples are gone!”
Today, the house remains central to the life of Kappa on campus.
“Our formal dinners are one of my favorite activities that take place in the house because it is the time that all members can come to the house to enjoy a nice dinner over good conversation and laughter,” said senior Mary Kate Kibbe, the current president of Kappa. “We are fortunate to have a home big enough to fit all of our members.”