The Historic, Mysterious 'Shant'

(Editor 's note: Ann Arbor News Chief Photographer, Eck Stanger, who took the photographs and wrote the story following, is a "history buff" of long standing. A charter member of the Ann Arbor Historical Commission, with a large photographic file of historie homes and buildings in the Ann Arbor área, he is frequently called upon to lecture on Ann Arbor history and some of the unusual architectural features of the city in which he has been a resident all his life.) A campus landmark, the "Deke's Shant," has been restored by alumni of Delta Kappa Epsilon. The venerable fraternity, established here in the 1840 's, V which is the Omicron chapter of the national society founded at Yale. hopes to be revived and become an active part of the University of Michigan social life without the benefit of a residence. After their house was destroyed by fire in October 1968 the local DKE chapter became dormant but a group of alumni, headed by Wilbur V. Casgrain, a retired Detroit industrialist, reluctant to see Omicron die, determined to restore the Victorian Gothic meeting house at 611 E. William st, and make it an oncampus club for Delta Kappa Epsilon student members. The Shant has been rehabilitated at the cost of $60,000. Long regarded as a mysterious and even haunted building, the affluent Dekes did not intend it to be so. Like other secret societies there were chapter initiations and regular, compulsory Saturday night meetings "to keep the brothers away from Detroit" held there. The gated brick wall and severe lines of the structure did make it look like a house of mystery. (It does have a grave with headstone - of a favorite dog named Abe.) W. L. B. Jenney, first U-M professor of architecture, designed the chapel and it was completed in 1878. Jenney went on to design office buildings in Chicago and fathered the modern skyscraper when he intrpduced the use of steel in_ commercial structures. He had been architect for several Ann Arbor structures but only this one survives. The fraternity is anxious to have its Shant designated a National Historie Site and the Ann Arbor Historical Council has included it in the División St., Area for Historie Preservation. In the interior the chapter room takes up most of the first floor. Here formal meetings of the fraternity will be held. Framed class photographs, banners, carved plaques and other memorablia line the walls. There is a new sink from which catered meals will be served. Significantly a "sisters" powder room has been added. The whole of the second floor is a lounge with contemporary furnishings. But the carved roof-supporting members, skylight and a lovely stained-glass gothic window of the original structure are retained. It is a bright room where members will meet informally and entertain their guests. The Shant with a small lawn in front crowds a 33 x 66-feet lot. A new oak gate has been set into the brick wall, but few repairs were necessary to the exterior, but a fire escape was added. Inside, a modern heating system was installed and a caretaker's room provided. A valuable Ann Arbor landmark, unique historically and architectural, has been restored for continued use as many hope the firehouse, the U-M Observatory and other structures will be saved.