Gustave Koerner House Restoration
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Gustave Koerner House Restoration |
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| 2011 To Date |
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New window installation on the front of Koerner house began in 2011. Due to 150 years of settling, each window had to be custom fit and increased window weights installed to make the new heavier windows balance. Carpenter Stan Erlinger used his skills to make the right fit.
Water and electric services were restored at 127 Mascoutah Avenue. Microbrewery equipment left by the previous owner was auctioned over the internet and about $1,000 was raised. A broken front window pane was replaced at an expense of $650. Downspouts were installed on both 127 Mascoutah and Koerner house. 127 Mascoutah was in serious need of brick tuckpointing. In September, masonry contractor Randy Warneke did the job for $17,200. At year’s end, Knipp Roofing coated the roof, giving it an additional 10 to 15 years life. The cost of the roof job was $5,700. The front metal overhang was removed and broken second floor windows were boarded. The left side first floor window casings, left rear door, front window frames and corner panels were also painted. Belleville East High School German teacher Andy Gaa coordinated a group of his students in a Koerner house cleanup day for the October 15 fundraiser. Fundraisers held in 2011 included a silent auction and Trivia Night in February. The Bier Tasting event held October 15 was an enjoyable day with beautiful weather. We are grateful to its sponsors:
Wolfgang Stuken of Germany mailed the committee paintings of several German scenes that were important to Koerner’s emergence as a political activist. Thank you Wolfgang for your continued strong support. The committee produced a 16-page booklet focusing on the legal and political relationship between Abraham Lincoln and Koerner. The committee would like to thank the St. Clair County Historical Society for its support of the Koerner house project since its inception. The committee is partnering with the Belleville HeritageSociety to raise restoration funds. Continued work on 127 Mascoutah Avenue will be programmed in 2012. |
| 2010 To Date |
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The main event of 2010 was the purchase of 127 Mascoutah Avenue, located at the corner of Abend and Mascoutah Avenue, which is diagonal from the Koerner house. 127 Mascoutah Avenue, a two story brick building, was for sale through the county’s tax delinquent real estate program. Earlier, a vacant parcel next to the building had been purchased through the tax delinquent program for use as a parking lot. The building was purchased with a gift from a generous sponsor for $23,000. The Koerner House Restoration Committee was concerned the rundown property might be purchased by an outside party for a use not compatible with the historic preservation efforts of the Koerner project. Secondly, purchase of the property would allow the committee to direct its future use and it was decided 127 Mascoutah Avenue would be an educational center for Koerner house. 127 Mascoutah was in need of extensive brick tuckpointing and roof recoating.
After consulting three craftsmen the committee decided to purchase five new windows for the front of Koerner house from St. Louis Sash Company. The topic of repairing the existing windows was thoroughly explored with the craftsmen. One window was done as a test to determine the amount of hours it would take to strip, prime, repair and repaint the window. The new windows were purchased, primed and painted to be installed in 2011. Remaining existing windows will be scraped, primed and repainted. 127 Mascoutah Avenue had an environmental problem that needed quick remediation. The second floor was covered with years of pigeon droppings, creating a dangerous health hazard. An Alton company was hired to correct the hazard at a cost of $7,000. Second floor window openings were repaired so pigeons could not enter the building. |
| 2009 To Date |
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Another dust eater day was held Saturday, November 7, 2009. General hauling and clean-up continues as reconstruction progressed and we prepared for Koerner's 200th Birthday Party held November 20th. Four dust eater volunteers continued Koerner house clean up on April 18, 2009. Rough plaster debris from demolition was removed from the front two bedrooms on the second floor. The third room on the second floor had piles of plaster that accumulated from removal of a 1980s closet, part of the remodeling when the building was divided into four apartments. Volunteer Jennifer Marquis found a piece of loose masonry that had a chunk of horse hair sticking out. Horse hair was used as a binder in that era of construction. Another dust eater opportunity will be scheduled in October. Architect Dave Leonatti visited the Koerner house in April. He reviewed the work accomplished by contractor Stan Erlinger. Molly Mc Kenzie talked with Leonatti and Erlinger about preparing specifications for rebuilding of the cellar entrance and a new wood door. In May, the three met again to discuss renovation of 28 windows. Leonatti noted the condition of, and work that would be necessary for, each window. Bid specifications will be prepared. Some windows need minor repairs; others may have to be partially or completely disassembled and renewed. Some window sills will be replaced. Lead paint will be scraped from all windows and frames. Exterior windows and frames will be painted a color appropriate to the era as identified in our Historic Structure Report. |
| 2008 To Date |
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Volunteers hauled building materials from the Koerner House on April 5th and 12th in preparation for Spring reconstruction. Foundation work was completed in 2008. The basement has a new support wall and the cistern on the east side was excavated and concrete poured. Part of the foundation was tuckpointed. Very generous donations are asked to bolster the fund raising efforts estimated to reach $750,000 overall.
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| 2007 Year End Report |
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Our fundraising year started with a February 3 Trivia Night and Silent Auction at McCormack Center in Belleville. (Read more below). Our application for the Save America's Treasures federal grant was not successful. [this note appended 3/2008]. Two dust eater days were held in April when volunteers remove the 1985 remodeling of the Koerner house into four apartments. Most of the wallboard and framing was hauled to the landfill but additional work to remove plumbing and electrical services remains. Dust eaters will be asked to report again in April 2008. In March we learned we had 30 days to prepare a detailed application for the federal Save America’s Treasures matching grant. Our consultants, Fever River Research and architect Dave Leonatti of Springfield, met with us and prepared figures for stabilizing the foundation, weatherproofing windows and doors, repointing the foundation, installation of a new metal roof and construction of a new side porch. The application requesting $165,000 was submitted April 24. Our match is made up of two state grants totaling $115,000 and $50,000 from our savings account. Grant awards are usually announced in November, but apparently congressional delays in passing budget bills has extended the usual process. We await word on the awards. Foundation stabilization work on the east side and front of the house was discussed in October with Mayor Mark Eckert. Bids will be taken in the coming months, regardless of the outcome of federal matching grant. Future use of the house was explored by committee members when they met with our consultants July 10 and September 7. Use of the building is controlled by its physical layout and traffic flow, plus requirements of the American Disabilities Act (ADA). Several members thought a visitors center for Belleville tourism would be a good use of the main floor. Other ideas presented were a Koerner museum, German heritage center, depository for Civil War records (Illinois' 43rd Regiment was named for Koerner) and meeting rooms for community groups. A plan discussed November 9 would use the front two rooms as display areas, the third room for conferences, and rear room as a combination food prep room for catered events and bathroom facilities. Second floor use, still under discussion, is confined to non-public activities because of ADA requirements. Dorothy Ebsen, widow of actor and Belleville native Buddy Ebsen, donated items for our second 2007 fundraiser, Visions of Old Belleville art sale held November 10. Area artists donated and sold art to benefit our campaign, raising $10,500. Special thanks to Patty Gregory for her assistance in making our event a success.. Patty leads the annual Belleville Art on the Square show, recently ranked number one in the nation by Art Fair Source Book. See additional details about our Events, thanks to the efforts of webmaster Diane Walsh. Our sincere appreciation to all who support our project. Jack LeChien
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©June 2005 Gustave Koerner House Restoration Committee. All rights reserved.
The St. Clair County Historical Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt (501(c)(3) organization.