Did Lincoln sleep here? Question derails plans to tear down St. Charles house
A St. Charles home Abraham Lincoln might have visited and slept at multiple times is creating tension between a pastor and the past.
The Baker Memorial United Methodist Church in 1993 purchased property containing the Barry House, at 217 Cedar Ave. The idea was to use the land for a church annex, which never came to fruition. Instead, the church used the home to provide low-rent housing.
Church officials say the building is now “decrepit.” They intend to raze it and create a prayer garden.
Because the home is in the city's historic district, the historic preservation commission needed to weigh in.
Steve Gibson, vice chairman of the commission, told aldermen the Barry Home must be saved. The property is the one-time residence of Judge William D. Barry, who bought the property from one of the founders of the city.
Local historians believe Barry and Lincoln were friends. It's possible Lincoln visited the Barry House and slept in an upstairs bedroom on multiple occasions, Gibson said.
Later residents of the home included Frederick Rassmussen, who was the superintendent of the St. Charles Milk Sugar Co., and Edith Kohlert, the longtime secretary to former Mayor I.G. Langum.
“We believe there's an opportunity with this building as it exists to tell the story of St. Charles,” Gibson said.
That's a story church leaders don't want a role in. The congregation of more than 800 people spent three years deciding to demolish the building and create a prayer garden, said the Rev. Mary Zajac, senior pastor of the church.
The congregation had no idea the home had historical significance until they asked for permission to tear it down. And none of the plans for the site involve the home being on it.
Preserving the building would involve sinking money the church doesn't have to restore and/or move the house to a new location. There are no funds for that, either.
The church might sell the house and land if a buyer comes forward. Donating the home might be another option.
But all those ideas require another lengthy decision process by the congregation.
The church doesn't want to use any of its money to assist in the historical preservation of the Barry House, Zajac said in November.
“We don't have income,” she explained. “We have offerings. Offerings are given to the glory of God. We need to be very good stewards of those offerings. Things that might cost us significant money, such as moving this building, would not be conducive to good stewardship of the funds received.”
The church's request late last year to demolish the house was tabled for 90 days while both parties investigated whether it could be saved or relocated. After the structure was determined to be in good condition, the city's planning and development committee last month sided with the historic commission's recommendation not to raze it. The church withdrew its request before the city council took a final vote.
For now, the fate of the house is still up in the air. The congregation will be exploring “all of the options” in the coming months, church board President Charles Freiberger said. He declined to elaborate.
Meanwhile, the historic commission remains hopeful the church will find a buyer who might be willing to play more of a role in the possible restoration.
“It's in incredible shape and it's well worth saving,” Gibson said.