On October 1, 1827, the United States government granted 80 acres of land just south of Jacktown to John McCormick. This transaction began the history of the property of Chauncey Cooperative House. Elihu Chauncey, a wealthy land owner from Philadelphia, purchased the land in 1836 from Henry Ellsworth, who acquired the land after several exchanges since 1827. Elihu Chauncey died in 1844, leaving the land to his children Henrietta and Nathaniel, who in turn divided it into subdivisions and gave the land to Jacktown (Named Chauncey in 1866 and presently West Lafayette) to build streets and alleys. Lot #16 in Ellsworth subdivision, a part of the Chauncey estate, was purchased by Elizabeth Cason in 1894, and our house was built shortly afterward.
John M. Rynerson purchased the house and property in 1900. John Rynerson was a very wealthy businessman in the Lafayette area. He died in 1905 as one of Indiana’s first automobile fatalities.
In 1921, Mrs. Nellie Blickenstaff bought the house and rented it to Kappa Delta Rho fraternity until 1937 when they moved to their present location at 1134 Northwestern.
In April 1937, several students asked Rev. William McFadden, founder of cooperative housing at Purdue, to organize another cooperative house. After three meetings in the Spring to perfect future plans, Mr. Albert Probst and Rev. McFadden were instructed to lease a house, buy furniture, and look after the necessary details. When the members moved into the house in the fall of 1937, they decided on the name, “Chauncey Cooperative House,” and elected the following officers: President – Robert Lumpkin, Treasurer – Merril Brunk, Secretary – Leonard Havercamp, Kitchen Manager – Evan Kendall, House Manager – Donald Goings, and Purchasing Agent – Earl Duggleby.
After one semester of operation, Chauncey’s average grade index was 4.19, which ranked third among men’s fraternal organizations and first among the other six cooperative houses. In athletics, the house placed in the semi-finals in touch football, finals in volleyball, and won the final game in basketball.