Phi Kappa Psi Breaks Ground on New Addition To Historic Grasslands House
Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, the first Greek letter chapter at the University of Missouri, is adding on to its historic property at 809 South Providence in Columbia, MO. In celebration, the fraternity will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, April 13 at noon at the chapter’s property at the intersection of Rollins St. and Providence Rd.
Phase I of the $5+ million project includes removal of the “New Wing’ addition, which was added to the original Rollins home in the 1950s, and replacing it with a more modern structure housing 50+ members. The original Rollins home will remain intact, with enhancements to it planned in Phase II of the project.
The original house and its land have a rich Columbia history. James Sidney Rollins (1812-88), widely recognized as the “Father of the University of Missouri,” amassed 1200 acres of land in Columbia. His son, George Bingham Rollins, built the original ‘Grasslands’ house on the plantation in 1880. In 1939, Dr. Claude Bruner purchased the property, and he sold it to the Phi Psi fraternity in 1954.
Those invited to attend include:
- Elected city officials
- University of Missouri officials
- Representatives of the project’s lending institution, Hawthorn Bank
- Staff from the general contractor, Little Dixie Construction
- Architectural firm Cunningham & Associates
Prior to the groundbreaking event, at 11:30 am, Mizzou’s Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life will kick off its year-long celebration of 150 years of Greek Life at Mizzou, which began with the founding of the Missouri Alpha chapter of Phi Kappa Psi in 1869. The event will also occur at the Phi Psi property.
Date
- Saturday, April 13, 2019
Events
- 150 Years of Greek Life at Mizzou – 11:30 a.m.
- Groundbreaking for Phi Kappa Psi Renovation – noon
Location
- Phi Psi house, 809 S. Providence, Columbia, MO
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