The Historic Kappa House, located at 1708 S Street, N.W. in Washington, D.C. is a historic Georgian Style Mansion building built in 1908. It became the home of the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter in 1949.
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The Historic Kappa House
The Historic Kappa House Restoration Foundation receives $75,000 from African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
This has been the home of the Washington DC Alumni Chapter, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. since June 4,1949.
The Georgian style building, designed by Leon E. Dessez, FAIA (1858-1918), was completed in 1908 as a private residence. Dessez was an important Washington architect responsible for a number of private homes and institutions around the city.
His best-known projects include the Admiral’s Residence at One Observatory Circle (today the official residence of the Vice President of the United States); the iconic Miner Teachers College building on Georgia Avenue; Garfield Memorial Hospital (replaced by Washington Hospital Center); and,during his later years, the hospital at the Soldiers’ Home (now the Armed Forces Retirement Home).
The Washington Chapter involved the Howard University Xi Chapter and the Miner Teachers College Beta Kappa Chapter when purchasing 1708 S Street, a former dance studio, for $49,000. To commemorate the inclusive nature of the relationship, the brass plaque on the front door was inscribed with the names of all three chapters.
Legacy
The Origins of "The Kappa Kastle"
To finance the purchase, the Kappas went to the North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company, a black-owned insurance company founded by Laurel Wreath Wearer C .C . Spaulding. Private contributions provided the funds for the down payment, remodeling work, and new furnishings.
The purchase of the property helped raise the status of the Washington, DC Alumni Chapter and came to symbolize black unity in the midst of a hostile, segregated city. During the Jim Crow years, when African Americans had very few places to gather for social purposes, the house became a focal point for black experience and activity in DC, and a home away from home. In fact, many brothers lived at the house while attending college or for short periods.
Prominent among these are Laurel Wreath Wearer and Congressman John Conyers, as well as Laurel Wreath Wearer and former Urban League PresidentJohn E.Jacob. Others visited the House daily for fellowship, business meetings, and strategic and community meetings addressing critical social justice issues. History reveals a long list of members who impacted politics and the struggle for equality, as well as the fields of education, medicine, government, and the arts.
Their enlightened contributions not only provide inspiration for today, but serve as a bridge from the past to the present. The elegant Kappa Kastle, as it was sometimes called, was a social success and also gained a reputation as a glamorous setting for parties, weddings, and receptions.
Restoring The Kappa House
The Historic Kappa House Restoration Foundation, Inc. (HKHRF) is an affiliate, non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c) 3 organization created to receive, tax deductible donations to support the total restoration of the House and to: promote, protect and preserve the Historic Kappa House for current and future generations.
The HKHRF’s mission is to restore the Historic Kappa House to its glory. Through a multi step plan the board plans to elevate the aesthetics of the home, create valuable resources for the graduate and undergraduate chapters.