DKE Shant (Delta Kappa Epsilon), 1878

611 East William Street

DKE Shant (Delta Kappa Epsilon), 1878
Creator: Jenney, William Le Baron, 1832-1907

Constructed in 1878 by the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity as a meeting place for its members who lived in rooms scattered around the campus, this was the first fraternity building at the University of Michigan.

The "Shant" was designed by William LeBaron Jenney during his tenure as professor of architecture at the University of Michigan (1876-79). Later Jenney returned to Chicago, where he achieved fame for the pioneering use of a steel skeleton frame in the Home Insurance Building, generally considered to be the world's first skyscraper. The DKE Shant, built in what was described by Jenney as a thirteenth century French style, resembles the Grace Episcopal Church in Chicago, designed by Jenney a few years earlier. It is thought to be Jenney's only remaining work in Michigan.

After the Dekes' chapter house on Geddes burned in 1968, the chapter ceased to hold regular meetings and the empty Shant was repeatedly vandalized. In 1971 the late Detroit industrialist Wilfred V. Casgrain and other Omicron chapter alumni renovated the structure to function again as an on-campus club for DKE student members.

The original stone foundation, woodwork, and Jenney's characteristic brick work have not been altered. The building is a gem of nineteenth century Victorian eclecticism, having a basic Gothic character with Italianate trim. The interior is now contemporary. The high brick wall that was added in 1901 shelters a tiny marble tombstone in memory of the dog "Abe," the Dekes' long-time mascot.