Evanston in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 25, 2025

1. Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity Marker

Inscription. This stone, from the old Alabama State Capitol at Tuscaloosa, is the gift of the University of Alabama, where ΣΑΕ was founded, March 9, 1856

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Notable Buildings. A significant historical date for this entry is March 9, 1856.

Location. 42° 3.016′ N, 87° 40.572′ W. Marker is in Evanston, Illinois, in Cook County. It is on Hinman Avenue. The marker is affixed to the piece of the old Alabama capitol that sits under an archway behind the Levere Memorial Temple. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1830 Hinman Ave, Evanston IL 60201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago.

It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

are within walking distance of this marker: David Thomas Hanson (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Frances E. Willard (1839-1898) / Woman's Christian Temperance Union (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Black House (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Methodist Church of Evanston (approx. ¼ mile away); The First House of Worship in Evanston (approx. ¼ mile away); Northwestern University's First Building (approx. 0.3 miles away); W. Russell Arrington (approx. 0.3 miles away); Fountain Square Veterans Memorial Wall (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Evanston.

More about this marker. The stone from the old Alabama capitol buliding is behind the Levere Memorial Temple, SAE's national headquarters that was built in 1930 across the street from the campus of Northwestern University.

The marker is at the end of an archway that runs south from the temple. A statue of Minerva is nearby.

Regarding Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. The University of Alambama was established in Tuscaloosa in 1820, and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity was founded there in 1856. SAE is the only national fraternity

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 25, 2025

2. Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity Marker

that was established in the pre-war South. Plans to create a national headquarters were approved in 1920, and the design for this headquarters was approved in 1928. The building opened in 1930 across the street from the campus of Northwestern University.

Tuscaloosa was the state capital of Alabama from 1825 until 1846, when it was moved to Montgomery, a more central location. The capitol building, built in a combination of the Federal and Greek Revival styles, was commissioned in 1828 and finished a year later, at a cost of about $100,000. The buliding survived until 1923, when it was destroyed by a fire that was blamed on faulty wiring. The ruins of the building are preserved at Tuscaloosa's Capitol Park.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. SAE marker at the University of Alabama

Also see . . .
1. About Sigma Alpha Epsilon: Brotherhood, Leadership, and Legacy. (Submitted on May 28, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. The Tuscaloosa State Capitol Building.

Excerpt: "The structure was used by the Alabama Central Female College until it was burned down on
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 25, 2025

3. Minerva statue and stone from Old Alabama State Capitol
The stone (on the right) is near the statue of Minerva that stands behind the Levere Memorial Temple. The sign in the back lists donors who contributed to the creation of the Minerva statue.
August 22, 1923, speculated to be caused by faulty electrical wiring. The building was quickly destroyed, and its remains were salvaged by many of Tuscaloosa’s people for use in their own construction, bricks from the ruined capital may still be found in structures built in the early twentieth century."

(Submitted on May 28, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Eastern side of the Levere Memorial Temple image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 25, 2025

4. Eastern side of the Levere Memorial Temple

The archway with the stone from the old Alabama State Capitol is at the end of the archway.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon's Levere Memorial Temple image. Click for full size.

Courtesy of Northwestern University Libraries, circa 1951

5. Sigma Alpha Epsilon's Levere Memorial Temple

A 1951 postcard depicts the Levere Memorial Temple, across the street from the campus of Northwestern University.

The old Alabama State Capitol at Tuscaloosa image. Click for full size.

Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress)

6. The old Alabama State Capitol at Tuscaloosa

Ruins of the former Alabama State Capitol image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, January 19, 2020

7. Ruins of the former Alabama State Capitol

Tuscaloosa’s Capitol Park is about 700 miles south of Evanston.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 28, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 115 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 28, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 5. submitted on May 29, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 6. submitted on May 28, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 7. submitted on January 23, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.