About The Residence 

Overlooking Mizzou’s iconic Francis Quadrangle, The Residence on Francis Quadrangle, also known as the Chancellor’s Residence, is one of the university’s most recognizable landmarks. The home has served as the primary dwelling of Mizzou’s leaders since its construction in the late 1800s. For more than 130 years, The Residence has witnessed celebrations, ceremonies, memorials and every daily moment on the Quad. It’s been described as the second most-recognized public residence in the state after the Missouri Governor’s Mansion in Jefferson City. As a prominent, longstanding fixture on campus, The Residence has its fair share of stories and interesting facts: 

• The original home was completed in 1843.  A fire destroyed most of the original residence on Nov. 28, 1865. The current home is built on the foundation of the original building.  

• The current residence was completed in 1867. It was built using funds appropriated by the Missouri legislature for its construction and other improvements to campus, as a part of the first state appropriations for the university in Missouri history.  

• During the Civil War, 300 Union soldiers occupied campus. Their commanding officer, Col. Merrill, lived in The Residence, though not for long due to the fire of 1865. 

• In addition to a Union officer, The Residence has also hosted figures like Mark Twain in 1902, and President Harry S. Truman in 1950. Eleanor Roosevelt used The Residence to rest and change for a dinner there in 1959. 

• In May 1874, Alice Read, wife of President Daniel Read, died in The Residence. Her death and a report of “ghostly apparitions” seen dancing in the windows of upstairs bedrooms and the April 1890 edition of the Columbia Missouri Herald have fueled rumors that the house is haunted.  

• On the night of Jan. 9, 1892, Addie Jesse, wife of President Richard Henry Jesse, and their six children watched in horror from The Residence as a fire destroyed Academic Hall. By morning, all that remained were six iconic columns rising above the smoldering ruins. 

• The Residence is a point of interest within Mizzou’s 1,252-acre botanic garden.