Figure 1. 1843 Judge Barry House at 217 Cedar Ave., St. Charles, Illinois.
Joni Mitchell famously sang in her 1970 hit, “Big Yellow Taxi,”
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot.
Mitchell was singing about the loss of nature to development, and for decades her sentiment has also applied to historic structures at risk of demolition as well, such as the 1844 Judge Barry House at 217 Cedar Ave. in downtown St. Charles.
Click here for the house’s history written by the St. Charles History Museum.
Baker Memorial United Methodist Church purchased the Judge Barry House in 1993. The home is directly across 3rd Avenue from its historic Gothic Revival church. The home served many purposes for the Church including housing for refugees and families at risk of homelessness. By 2017, the Church decided the money and volunteer time used for the house could be better served elsewhere and requested a demolition permit from the city. A review by the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) was required since the home was within the city’s historic district. Finding the home to be historically significant and in good condition, the HPC denied the demolition request. The Church appealed to the city’s Planning and Development Committee which concurred with the HPC in March 2018.[1]
After evaluating its options, the Church decided to put properties they owned up for sale, labeled in Figure 2 as “North Parcel” and “Existing Parking,” the latter including the Judge Barry House and fronting Main Street. Most of the land is parking for the Church on Sundays which is made available to the public the rest of the week. According to Peter Vargulich, a member of the Church, “Our north parcel is under contract to be sold and the developer for that property is looking at options for what they want to propose…”[2] With the possible loss of this parking, the Church again applied to demolish the Judge Barry House to replace some of this parking.
Figure 2. Two parcels, labeled “North Parcel” and “Existing Parking,” owned by the Baker Memorial United Methodist Church.
Like Mitchell sang, “They paved paradise, put up a parking lot.”
The Church presented little new information about the house at its hearing with the HPC on October 2, 2024. The house still had historical significance. Little evidence of economic hardship was presented. No new evidence was presented on the condition of the house. No timetable was shared as to when a new development would begin on the church’s North Parcel. As it had seven years before, HPC denied the demolition request.
On December 9, 2024, the Church appealed to the City’s Planning and Development Committee. A capacity crowd listened to representatives of the Church explain their reasons for requesting the demolition and why the HPC denied the request. John Hoscheit argued for the Church that removing the historic structure would “enhance the historic district.”[3] Kim Malay, chairperson of the HPC, countered that a recent offer to purchase the house and restore it was turned down by the Church indicating that the house did retain value for the historic district.[4] The Planning and Development Committee chose to table the request to allow the Church and City to consider alternative options to demolition, including the City buying the house.[5]
As of this writing, those negotiations are ongoing.
While the Church is convinced demolition is the best outcome for it and the City, the Church appears to have failed to prove that demolition is appropriate under the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance. At the HPC meeting in October 2024, the Church reported that it spends about $25,000 per year on mortgage payments and $4,300 in property taxes. Demolition would only eliminate some property tax expense and none of the mortgage. This financial burden does not appear to prove “that without approval of the proposed work the property cannot obtain a reasonable economic return,” as required by the ordinance.[6]
Figure 3. Plans for vacated lot submitted by the Baker Memorial United Methodist Church.
Furthermore, “a plan for the use of the property being vacated by the proposed demolition or relocation shall be submitted,” as required by the ordinance, was a simple drawing (see Figure 3), not an engineering plan as is typically required.[7] Finally, the Church presented no new information on the structural integrity of the house or the timeline for the Church’s need for new parking that would create an immediate need for demolition. Relieving itself of the financial burden of the home it no longer uses is understandable, but without additional detail, delaying demolition for a year or two does not seem unreasonable to find a suitable alternative to demolition.
We met with representatives of the Church in August 2024 to understand their situation and we look forward to collaborating with them on a solution that benefits the Church and preserves the historic Judge Barry House.
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[1] James Fuller, “Did Lincoln Sleep Here?” Daily Herald, March 11, 2018.
[2] Peter Vargulich, Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes, October 2, 2024, 5, City of St. Charles Records.
[3] John Hoscheit, Planning and Development Committee Meeting, December 9, 2024, St. Charles, Illinois.
[4] Kim Malay, Planning and Development Committee Meeting, December 9, 2024, St. Charles, Illinois.
[5] David Petesch, “180-Year-Old Home in St. Charles Gest Demolition Reprieve—for Now,” Kane County Chronicle, December 12, 2024, https://www.shawlocal.com/kane-county-chronicle/2024/12/11/180-year-old-home-in-st-charles-gets-demolition-reprieve-for-now/.
[6] St. Charles, Illinois Code of Ordinances, “Landmark Designation Procedures,” Chapter 17.32.090 (C), https://library.municode.com/il/st._charles/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT17ZO_CH17.32HIPR.
[7] St. Charles, Illinois Code of Ordinances, “Landmark Designation Procedures,” Chapter 17.32.080 (B.2), https://library.municode.com/il/st._charles/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT17ZO_CH17.32HIPR.
Photos in Figures 1, 2, and 3 are from the Baker Memorial United Methodist Church to St. Charles Historic Preservation Commission, September 12, 2024, https://www.stcharlesil.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/docs/public-meetings/historic-preservation-commission/2024/10-03-2024/combined-agenda-10-2-24.pdf.