The Stewart House, regarded as "The Birthplace Of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity" in 1870, is the prairie-style Victorian home of Mary "Minnie" Moore Stewart, one of the Fraternity's six Founders and theoretical first President. The gracious, two-story, white frame house is located on one and one-half acres of lush grounds with beautiful gardens and age-old trees adjacent to the Monmouth College campus, Monmouth, Illinois. The home is a historic place of rememberance for members of Kappa Kappa Gamma, for many of the early Kappa meetings were held in the home and the Fraternity Constitution was written and the Charter signed in The Stewart House.

Ancestors of the Stewart family emigrated to the U.S. from Scotland in the early 18th century and eventually located in Illinois. James H. Stewart, Minnie's father and successful attorney and judge, purchased the land on which the house stands in 1863. The home was built in 1865, at the close of the Civil War. The original house was smaller than the present structure. Configuration of the house has changed over the years and a lower sun porch and an upper sleeping porch were added.

James and his wife Isabella lived in the home with their four children for many years. All but one of the children attended Monmouth College. After graduating from college, Minnie married, gave birth to two children, and later became a school teacher, debate judge and high school principal.

Ownership of the house had remained with descendents of the James Stewart family until 1989 when the house was purchased by the Minnie Stewart Foundation, to preserve the heritage of Kappa Kappa Gamma. The Stewart House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of Interior in 1989 due to its significance as the founding home of one of the earliest women's fraternities and its importance in the progression of the women's movement.

Preservation and restoration work began in the early 1990s. The dining room and parlor have been authentically restored, and the front hall, living room, sun room and west bedroom have been decorated in the period of the late 19th century. The Marjorie Moree Keith Memorial Garden Patio with name-engraved red bricks was added to the grounds in 1997. The patio is bordered by iris and lily gardens and surrounded by flowering trees and pines.

The Stewart House is now owned by the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and serves as a museum. Guided tours are available to the public.

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