Today, Landmarks Illinois, the state’s leading voice for historic preservation, named the 1844 Judge William D. Barry House as one of the Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois for 2025.
Photo by Paul Morgan, 2025.
(For more on the latest news on the Judge Barry House, click here.)
The house, which does not appear to have any significant structural issues, is nevertheless at imminent risk of demolition.
Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, which has owned the home located at 217 Cedar Ave. in St. Charles, IL since 1993, applied for a demolition permit last fall. This was the second time the church had requested demolition of the home, and it was denied for a second time by the St. Charles Historic Preservation Commission. The church appealed that decision to the city’s Planning and Development Committee on December 9, 2024, which tabled a decision for six months pending negotiations with the city to find an alternative to demolition.
The property, considered “contributing” to the St. Charles Downtown Historic District, merited a “Most Endangered Historic Place” by Landmarks Illinois because of the historic significance of Judge Barry to the early history of St. Charles and the seven-year struggle of the owner to find any use other than demolition for a parking lot. Furthermore, as Landmarks Illinois explains, “The Judge Barry House is in a prime location in downtown St. Charles and could be put back into active use…. At a time when there is a shortage of housing across the country, it could also be sold to a private owner for use as a residence. Alternatively, it could be reused as a retail space following the example of nearby homes on Cedar Avenue and 3rd Avenue.”[1]
Google Maps screenshot of the location of the Judge Barry House circled in yellow.
The Judge Barry House is located directly across 3rd Avenue from the Baker’s historic Gothic Revival church (yellow circle on downtown map of St. Charles). The church used the home primarily for housing refugees and families at risk of homelessness. The expenses of taxes, maintenance, etc., became an untenable burden for the church by 2017 when it sought a demolition permit from the City. Since the home is within the City’s historic district, the City’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) was tasked with recommending approval or denial of the demolition. The HPC denied the request because of the home’s historic significance and its overall good condition. The City’s Planning and Development Committee concurred in March 2018.[2]
The church returned to the HPC in October of 2024, requesting demolition of the home again, however, they provided very little new information and were denied again. The appeal to the city’s Planning and Development Committee in December 2024 was tabled for six months, much to the disappointment of members of the church.[3] Committee members were not satisfied that all possible alternatives to demolition had been considered, and they instructed city staff to work with representatives of the church on solutions, including the possibility of the city buying the house to help alleviate the budget burden the home had become for the church.
The six-month period to consider alternatives ends the week of May 12, 2025.
In an interview with Landmarks Illinois, local historian Steve Gibson summed up one of the consequences of losing the Judge Barry House:
“Preserving it honors forgotten figures and stories that would otherwise be lost—making it far more valuable than a few parking spaces.”[4]
Please contact a St. Charles Alderperson if you support the preservation and adaptive reuse of the Judge Barry House.
Thank you for reading! If this story interested, inspired, or informed you, please consider subscribing to our monthly e-newsletter so more of these stories come right to you!
[1] “Judge William D. Barry House: 2025 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois,” Landmarks Illinois, accessed May 1, 2025, https://www.landmarks.org/preservation-programs/most-endangered-historic-places-in-illinois/judge-william-d-barry-house-2025/.
[2] James Fuller, “Did Lincoln Sleep Here?” Daily Herald, March 11, 2018.
[3] 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/.
[4] “Judge William D. Barry House: 2025 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois,” Landmarks Illinois, accessed May 1, 2025, https://www.landmarks.org/preservation-programs/most-endangered-historic-places-in-illinois/judge-william-d-barry-house-2025/