LIVING SPACES
By Nancy Peevy | Photos by Chadwick Turner
Sisterhood, Service and a House Full of History
Alpha Delta Pi honors the past and builds for the future in its renovated home
A devotion to sisterhood, dedication to philanthropy and a record of firsts define Alpha Delta Pi. Celebrating 175 years since its founding, each characteristic is woven throughout the sorority’s long history and is reflected in its renovated house on the University of Arkansas campus.
In 1851, the first college ever chartered to grant degrees to women — Georgia Female College in Macon, Georgia, later renamed Wesleyan Female College — was the birthplace of the first secret society for college women. Originally called the Adelphean Society, the sorority took the name Alpha Delta Pi in 1913.
“Our founding members were women who were very invested in education,” said Julie Council, executive chapter advisor. “Back in 1851, women were just being educated to become good wives, mothers, housekeepers. These women were very interested in academics, so our founding members formed a society to focus on academics, character development, sisterhood and service.”
Alpha Delta Pi was chartered at the University of Arkansas in 1957 as the Delta Delta Chapter and now has 611 active members, which makes it one of the largest chapters in the nation.
At that time, the group took ownership of a large house on campus at 519 N. Oakland Ave., which originally housed Pi Beta Phi sorority. Architects date the house to 1930 and describe it as a Tudor Revival design, one of only two such houses on campus.
In 2019, with a growing membership, sorority leaders decided to expand and update the house, keeping the historic part.
“We needed more space,” Council said. “The dining room and kitchen needed to be much larger. In the 1960s, we were serving a membership that was maybe 150 women. Now we’re serving a membership that is 611 active members.”
With the remodel, keeping the historic parts of the house and the Tudor style intact was important because “it was very unique,” said Liz Taylor, house corporation board president. “Since we’ve been here since 1957, that’s how a lot of members identify with this house, that’s what everybody remembers. So, we made a decision as a board to preserve this style but also expand our space for study areas and our chapter room.”
That meant keeping the original door and, for the house’s addition, matching the 1930s brick from the original house. The group hired a specialty brick mason who was able to match the brick and the rock from the original.
The house is now 26,000 square feet, with room for 73 residents, a larger kitchen, a dining room seating 133 and a chapter room that holds 265.
“Every space was intentional,” Taylor said. “We really thought about how we’re going to serve our membership, how we’re going to be able to grow. We knew that Greek life was going to increase over the decades, so we thought about how we can serve our members long-term. With the architect, we talked about wanting a space that can expand over the next few decades. We wanted to also preserve the Tudor style and the way it looked because it’s one-of-a-kind and beautiful. We needed more living communal space, which we added both on the lower level and on the residential floors.”
The update created study nooks and book nooks throughout residential areas, with corkboard walls scattered along the halls where members can put up photos. Art and mirrors make the house feel like home, Taylor said.
Azure blue and white, the official colors of Alpha Delta Pi, are incorporated throughout the house. Each room has an azure blue door.
The sorority’s symbol is a diamond, and the four points symbolize sisterhood, service, character and knowledge. Diamond shapes are found throughout the house, inset into the cabinetry and on the walls, floors, carpets and furniture. The sorority’s new chapter room features a large diamond shape on the floor. The room also has a stained glass of Alpha Delta Pi’s crest on the wall, which was preserved from the 1957 house.
“First and foremost, the house is home to our members,” Taylor said. “We wanted it to be a place where they can come over, hang out and be with sisters. It also needs to function for our membership, so they need to be able to conduct their meetings. And then we have spaces for them to come study. We want to make sure it’s a place where they expand their knowledge. We want them to feel even after they graduate that this is still home. You’re always welcome.”
The house renovation won the American Society of Interior Designers Silver Award and the Preserve Arkansas Award.
The Delta Delta Chapter has also built a legacy of philanthropy. In 1979, the national organization chose Ronald McDonald House Charities as its partner charity and has since raised more than $24.5 million for the nonprofit. In 2025, the Delta Delta Chapter donated $86,770 to Ronald McDonald House Arkansas & North Louisiana.
The sisterhood won the Taylor Award in 2024 at Ronald McDonald House Arkansas & North Louisiana’s Red Shoe Soirée. The award is given annually to a volunteer or group that goes above and beyond for the charity.
The Alpha Delta Pi house may have grown and changed, but its purpose remains rooted in the values that have guided the sorority since 1851. It carries the legacy of service, with its members living out the sorority’s open motto: “We live for each other.”
Home Pros Used:
Appliances: Metro Appliances & More
Builder/Contractor/Architect: WER Architects; KINCO Constructors
Cabinets: Kitchen Distributors Inc.
Décor/Interior Designer: Harper Howey Interiors
Doors: Wesche Co
Drapes/Fabrics: Joe Ellis Upholstery; Schumacher Fabrics
Electronics/Electrician/Wiring/Alarm System: Custom Electronics; Up to Par Technology; Hill Electric; Willtech Enterprises
HVAC: Harrison Energy Partners; Elite Building Solutions
Landscaping/Lawn Care: Initial design by McClelland Consulting Engineers; Designscape
Mirrors: Fayetteville Glass Co.
Painting: Paint Innovators
Plumbing/Fixtures: Johnson Plumbing; American Standard
Additional Vendors: Ritter Communications; Signage by Archway Graphics