January 24, 2007

It was with great concern that I read the article entitled, This Old House – the Governor’s Mansion Needs Help – and Soon, which appeared in the News Tribune on Sunday, January 14, 2007.  What an ironic twist that the article was printed in the Style section of the paper.  The deterioration of our grand executive mansion reflects back in our history when in 1855 Julia Louisa Lovejoy, the wife of a New England Methodist minister, traveled through the City of Jefferson and described the appalling condition of Missouri’s State Capitol.  In Michael Fellman’s book, “Inside War”, Lovejoy is quoted, “One thing seemed to us like neglect or indolence, the rusty appearance of the unpainted…..cupola of the structure (Capitol) that by heavy rains had soiled the exterior of the walls the entire height.”

Sadly, Missouri’s great capital city in many respects seems to be repeating history and does not to its full potential embrace the rich heritage of its past.  A significant segment of our heritage can be found not in textbooks but in the nineteenth and early twentieth century structures which line the streets of the City of Jefferson.  Each in some manner is a monument to the men and women who made our city.

To be of historical significance a structure need not be of the stature of Independence Hall, the Old North Church, or the Executive Mansion.  Most structures, each with a story to tell, are nestled in communities much like our own where ordinary people led ordinary lives and forged the extraordinary history of our nation.  One doesn’t have to venture far from the City of Jefferson to realize that communities across our state are embracing the past as a bridge to the future.  California and Boonville, Missouri are two splendid examples.  St. Charles had little to offer until several years ago when history conscious citizens and civic leaders recognized the historical bond St. Charles has with the Missouri River and westward expansion.  Washington, Hermann, and Fulton are other examples where rich Missouri heritage is being preserved through restoration and conservation of structures. 

With the exception of St. Charles each of the communities mentioned is smaller than the City of Jefferson.  The key to the success of these communities is citizens and civic leaders embraced the history of their past with a vision for the future and through unified effort made their visions become reality.

For some period of time it has been argued that the structures on West McCarty Street have deteriorated to a degree where they can no longer be salvaged and restored.  The truth is we, as a city, have allowed it to happen.  I concur that not all old structures should be preserved, however, it takes a great deal more vision to restore a structure and to find a creative method to link the past to the future than it does to run a bulldozer through a building in predawn hours.  True, the bulldozer may be cheaper.

Perhaps the City of Jefferson should take an innovative approach which, to my knowledge, has not been attempted by any other Missouri community.  We can adopt what I refer to as a clean canvas policy.  Just as the artist begins with a clean canvas if we apply the concept to old structures in the City of Jefferson basically none will remain.  If applied, in a uniform, manner such an approach would ensure that numerous locations throughout our city would be available for new construction, parking lots, cell phone towers, and vacant lots.  When guests or tourists visit our city we can always relate to them what used to be on a particular site.

If the Bassman residence on McCarty Street is torn down we can always state we have photographs.  Who remembers Clarke’s Row, the D. C. McClung Transfer Company, McCarty House, Jefferson House, the Old School at 308 Adams Street, Capital City Welding Works, the Pope residence at Madison and Water, the Levi Dixon House, Judge Scott’s home, the old Gordon Home, the Daily Capital News at 201 Madison Street, Brown’s Row, the Belsch Home, the old jail, or the African-American Methodist Church?  I hope there are photographs.

Under the clean canvas proposal no old structure would be spared.  Some that might be considered for demolition include:  The Cole County Historical Society, 109-111 Madison Street.  The buildings are in bad need of exterior painting and repair and there is evidence of some interior water damage.  The Carnegie Free Public Library Building located at 210 Adams Street is no longer used as a library and can be torn down to make way for additional library parking.  At 105 Jackson Street stands probably the oldest remaining residence of the original City of Jefferson.  The Gustavus A. Parsons’ house is in sad need of repair.  G. A. Parsons was a private secretary to Thomas Jefferson, a leading citizen and the father to Missouri Confederate Civil War General Mosby Monroe Parsons.

Another possible structure to add to the clean canvas list is Ivy Terrace located at 500 East Capitol Avenue.  It has serious exterior renovation needs.  The structure at one time was the home of Governor and Mrs. Lawrence “Lon” Vest Stephens (1897-1901).

The wonderful old International Shoe Factory building located on East Capitol Avenue might also be considered.  The factory building is probably the most intact early factory building left in our city and it evolved in part after organized labor forced the closing of the shoe factories which operated behind the walls of the Missouri State Penitentiary.

In the interest of being consistent all of the old nineteenth and early twentieth century structures at the Missouri State Penitentiary might be included in the clean canvas proposal.  The Missouri State Penitentiary when it closed in 2004 was the oldest and one of the most historical prisons west of the Mississippi River.   

Although the majority of the structures mentioned are designated local historic landmarks should such designation stand in the way of progress?  We can always say we took photographs.  If a clean canvas policy was to be implemented by the City of Jefferson some day the Dulle home on St. Mary’s Boulevard might be the site of a cell phone tower and the Landwehr farmhouse located at 2024 East McCarty Street could be the location of an eastside strip mall.

In the interest of presenting both sides there are those within our community who would oppose a clean canvas concept.  These citizens, many of them business men and women, are individuals who possess vision.  They are men and women who believe that a secure bridge can be a span between history and progress as a positive formula for the future of our city.  They believe that history in photographs is not enough.

Two of the first individuals who took a chance on the eastside of Jefferson City were Tom and Joan Benke.  They purchased a large house at 804 East High Street thirty-five  years ago.  The structure was in serious need of repair.  Their home was the former residence of Governor and Mrs. Herbert Spencer Hadley (1909-1913). 

The old warden’s residence (circa 1888) located at 700 East Capitol Avenue would most probably have been torn down had it not been for the efforts of Robert Hawkins, Jr. and his son Robert Hawkins III.  When they walked through the rundown house a child’s wading pool caught rainwater as it came through the roof.  With the Hawkins’ vision and the skill of the Jude Markway Construction Company the old warden’s residence is now a show piece on Capitol Avenue. 

Several other opportunities to rid the city of its antique structures did not occur because various individuals had the vision to preserve them for the future.  Some of these projects included: 

A beautiful residence at 210 Lafayette has been lovingly restored by Toni Prawl and her husband Dennis Ceglenski.

The wrecking ball came close to claiming a stately residence owned by the Housing Authority at 505 State Street until it was rescued by Judge Jon Beetem and his wife Jane. 

In the four hundred block of State Street Dean Martin and Carol Blaney saved and restored 416-420 State Street.  The structures are now occupied properties. 

Other success stories include Communique, Inc., 512 East Capitol Avenue, restored through the efforts of Steve Veile; the Dallmeyer residence at 600 East Capitol Avenue purchased and restored by Frank and Carol Burkhead and the James A. Houchin residence at 611 East Capitol Avenue preserved through the vision of Jim and Betty Weber.

Juanita Donahue, a former teacher and City of Jefferson business owner, took a huge gamble with her vision for the future.  Juanita purchased a ramshackle structure at 900 East High Street and transformed the building into the fashionable O’Donaghue’s Steak and Seafood restaurant. 

Very recently through the vision of Mr. And Mrs. Daryl Hubble a City of Jefferson landmark, Whaley’s East End Drug, 630 East High Street, has been restored.  With the skills of Jude Markway Construction Company the Hubbles have transformed the upper floor of the business into a beautiful private residence.

Ongoing renovation projects on the eastside of the city include the Historic City of Jefferson Renovation Project, 1102 East McCarty Street guided under the vision of HCJ President Mary Ann Hall Murphy and the restoration project of Warwick Village, another City of Jefferson landmark, 1507 East McCarty Street.

The late James F. McHenry, civic and judicial leader in our community, once stated, “Vision for the future is demonstrated by the manner in which we preserve the heritage of our past.”

For 135 years the elegant lady referred to as “the people’s house” has stood at the corner of East Capitol Avenue (East Main Street) and Madison.  She has unselfishly revealed her personal history to thousands of visitors from every state and many nations.  She has welcomed us in happy times and comforted us in times of sorrow.  She has heard the laughter of children and the cries of those in mourning.   Through the storm and on the moonlit night she has been there.  Her future is in our hands.  We are all responsible not only for her future but for the future of our city. 

Will the road we take be one of vision building a bridge between our past to our future or will we choose the road that leads to a vacant lot where once our history stood?  It is true that history is made by people and not buildings, however, our buildings are in a small way monuments to who we were and what we are.  Some day will the grand lady known as the “the people’s house” shudder as the wrecking ball meets her walls?  Will our grandchildren pass by an empty lot?

Sometimes a photograph just isn’t enough.  We can do better.