The language of historians is time: We think about it, talk about it, and write about it. As a public historian, I’m excited to celebrate 35 years of The Stewart House Museum. Kappa’s three-plus decades in stewarding the home is but a small footnote in the 160 years of the home’s history. When Minnie Stewart’s parents purchased the land in 1863, they had no idea the foundation they were laying.
saving the stewart house
Keeping a home in the family for over 160 years is no easy feat. Mary Weir Huff, Minnie Stewart’s grandniece, wanted her home to go to Kappa after her death. When the fate of the home was uncertain, the Minnie Stewart Foundation, a group of Monmouth alumnae, purchased the house in 1987. Cindy Beach Wills, Estelle Evers Barnes, Carol Macari Bowman, all Monmouth, and others oversaw the renovations to transform the house into a museum, preserving it for the future.
national recognition
Equally important was Estelle’s work in applying for the home’s inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. Estelle drew the connection between the house, the role of women’s fraternities, and the women’s rights movement, securing the museum’s spot on the register.
Estelle’s application was approved on Oct. 19, 1989. The following spring, the home was dedicated as The Stewart House Museum. The Monmouth Alumnae Association, under the leadership of Mary C. Josephson, Monmouth, organized the celebration. In attendance were Monmouth College President Bruce Haywood and Fraternity President Kay Smith Larson, Washington. In 2000, the Minnie Stewart Foundation merged with the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation.
the gift of hospitality
The face of The Stewart House has been its caretakers. Barbara Blair Frazier, Monmouth, was the first hostess (1989–2004). Next, Jane Warfield served as director until 2015. Both Jane and Barbara possessed the gift of hospitality, which is an underappreciated asset in the field of public history. After Jane retired, the Foundation hired Museum Fellow Anna Meyer, Missouri.
Since I arrived in Monmouth in 2016, I am most proud of the stories that we share with the public. The residents of The Stewart House were not so different from us: They were professionals, divorcees, and single mothers. They endured hardships while seeking the support of their Kappa sisters. They labored, whether directly or indirectly, to improve the lives of women.
And there are so many more stories to tell. Imagine an educational center on the museum’s property to expand our experiential programs. May the museum’s future be as abundant as its past, as it teaches members and the community about the historic role of women.
