Welch Hall (Missouri)

Welch Hall is a historic residence located at 24 E Stewart Rd on Oak Hill in Columbia, Missouri. The residence is home to the University of Missouri chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Early history

The original house on Oak Hill was platted in Columbia in 1820, and later served as a hospital during the Civil War era.^[1]

Military Academy

In the late 19th century, Oak Hill became home to the University Military Academy, sometimes known as Welch Military Academy. The now defunct Military Academy was chartered in 1894 and operated by John B. Welch. The academy advertised its mission to prepare young men with thorough preparation for Yale, Harvard, West Point or business. The academy originally occupied twenty acres centered on an elevated hilltop near the western edge of the University of Missouri. It is believed that the Academy played football in the 20th century. One game that is documented in the Missouri State Historical Society Newspaper Archives was played between Columbia High School (now Hickman High School) and the Academy in 1901. The final score documented is 24-0 in favor of Columbia High School. The academy's original building was destroyed by fire around 1907, but a new structure was built on same site, and the academy continued operations until around 1915.

Women's Dormitory

According to the 1922 Savitar (University of Missouri Yearbook), Welch Hall was leased, remolded, and furnished by the Women's Student Government Association (W.S.G.A.) in the 1920-21 Academic year. It was able to be occupied by the holiday season that year. It was designed to be a co-operative house, the girls living there had direct control of the house under the supervision of the W.S.G.A.

Oak Hill Hotel

After its use as a women's dormitory, Welch Hall became the Oak Hill Hotel throughout the late 1920s until it was sold to Sigma Alpha Epsilon in 1929.^[2]

Fraternity

1965 fire at Sigma Alpha Epsilon

Sigma Alpha Epsilon acquired the main building and a significant portion of the surrounding land of Oak Hill in 1929. Fire destroyed the roof and much of the interior of the structure in 1965 while in possession of SAE, but the house was rebuilt almost exactly and was rededicated in September 1966.^[3][4] SAE continued to occupy Welch Hall for the rest of the century. In 2008, SAE was suspended for 4 years and rented out the building, Acacia Fraternity took possession of the property on June 1 of that year.^[5] After Acacia moved out, Tau Kappa Epsilon rented the property with plans to buy and/or renovate the house. However, SAE returned to campus in November 2012 and subsequently returned to living in Welch Hall at the end of the 2012-2013 school year.

The site was recognized as a Boone County Historical Society Notable Historic Property in 2004.

Haunting

Prior to the house's use as a military academy beginning in the early 1890s, the original structure once served as a Civil War hospital. Although fire destroyed much of the upper floors in 1907 and 1965, much of the basement remains original to the Civil War hospital, including areas that once housed a crematorium and morgue. According to legend, the bodies of dead soldiers were stored in the basement. One story of the supposed hauntings involves a 1947 SAE pledge class. According to the legend, the pledges "experienced supernatural things" within the house after they were forced to spend the night in the basement. Soon after the experience, they all dropped out of MU and never returned to Columbia.

In keeping with the traditions, legends, and history of the building, Sigma Alpha Epsilon began transforming the property into a haunted house as an annual Halloween tradition beginning in 1995.^[6][7]

References