The Old House Society of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois Works to Preserve David Davis Mansion and Other Historic Landmarks in Area

Every year some 48,000 visitors drive down Davis Avenue in Bloomington, Illinois to tour the David Davis Mansion because of its association with President Abraham Lincoln.

The state of Illinois accepted the Davis Mansion as a state historic site in 1960, because of its association with the history of President Abraham Lincoln. Completed in 1872, the Mansion was the Bloomington, Illinois home of Judge David Davis (1815-1886) and his wife Sarah. Davis was a lawyer, politician, businessman, and judge; he was also one of Abraham Lincoln's closest, personal friends and a Lincoln appointee to the U.S. Supreme Court. Davis's greatest achievement was helping Lincoln to win the 1860 Republican Party nomination for the highest office in the land. Today, historians agree that without Davis's help, Lincoln would never have become President. Throughout the years that he spent in his Bloomington home, Davis amassed a collection of personal papers documenting his relationship to Lincoln and other major leaders of his day. These valuable documents are now housed in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, where they are consulted by scholars from around the world.

Government Budget & Punitive Actions Effect on Historic Landmarks

In Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich's punitive actions towards the voting districts of politicians calling for his impeachment caused casualties for historic districts, including the David Davis Mansion.

Blagojevich proposed a budget for 2008 with a 5% increase from the year before.[11] Budget reductions of some programs caused Blagojevich to attempt to close 11 state parks and 13 state historic sites, with his spokesman saying Blagojevich had never visited any of them.[13][72] To plug state budget holes, Blagojevich at one point proposed selling the James R. Thompson Center or mortgaging it. Blagojevich was also criticized for his handling of the 2007 state budget. In particular, critics cited his unprecedented use of line-item and reduction vetoes to remove his political opponents' "member initiatives" from the budget bill. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/blagojevich)

Due to these budget cuts and budget shortfalls in the fall of 2008, the twin cities of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois came close to having the David Davis Mansion shut down. Through generous donations from the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and citizens throughout Illinois and around the nation, the David Davis Mansion Foundation was able to raise sufficient funds to keep the site open until the State could resume its financial commitment to the site. But in spite of the restoration of state funding the Davis Mansion remains in a vulnerable position, which challenges the site to develop new and innovative strategies for survival. (For pictures and tour information, go to http://daviddavismansion.org/reservation.html).

To understand how vital these preservation efforts are, it is important to recognize their place within the American historic preservation movement, which is currently struggling to help historic house museums survive in the twenty-first century. Although many of America's historic homes became public sites during times of patriotic enthusiasm in the early 20^th century, most historic houses became public museums in the 1950s, when urban development began obliterating the farm country, leaving behind only a few Victorian houses scattered in large, suburban tracts of bungalow-style residences. With the changing fashions and economic realities of the 1960s and 70s, the most recent wave of historic houses entered the public sphere-places such as the David Davis Mansion in Bloomington, Illinois.

Like many other house museums in America, the Davis Mansion also faces another threat to its existence. Indeed, many of America's beautiful historic house museums are similarly threatened because the once glorious neighborhoods in which they were built have gradually begun to sink into decay. Examples of this triple threat (declining attendance, declining funding, and declining neighborhoods) can found in Chicago's south side, where the magnificient Glesssner House and the more modest Clark House once stood in an affluent neighborhood surrounded by fabulously wealthy homes. The Davis Mansion faces a similar threat today because it is located at the edge of an area that may eventually pose a threat to the stability of the Davis-Jefferson neighborhood.

The David Davis Mansion Foundation and the Davis/Jefferson Neighborhood Association work to assist the Mansion. The Foundation raises money to keep the David Davis Mansion open; the Davis/Jefferson Neighborhood Association works to beautify the surroundings of the David Davis Mansion.

A third organization, the Old House Society, a not-for-profit organization, founded in 1979, to promote the preservation of the community's architectural heritage, has also agreed to assist by donating 50% of funds they raise to the David Davis Mansion Foundation, in addition to donating 25% to the Davis/Jefferson Neighborhood Association for their beautification project.

The Mission of the Old House Society: To promote and preserve buildings, landscapes, and neighborhoods more than 50 years old, and the communities and heritage they foster.

Their goal is to provide resources, education and advocacy to those interested in historic buildings; to maintain the aesthetic and human appeal of our irreplaceable older neighborhoods; and to ease the experience of owning and preserving older homes and buildings.

How the Old House Society Raises Money

The Old House Society raises money for historic preservation by:

• Sponsoring annual house tours and other events
• Sponsoring member and community education programs and hands-on workshops to encourage home owners to do their own restoration work
• Helping support many local organizations (including the David Davis Mansion, McLean County Historical Society, Towanda Area Historical Society, and local neighborhood organizations, including the Davis/Jefferson Neighborhood Association.
• Honoring local owners and hoses with "Gift to the Street" awards to recognize old houses which have been preserved or restored to exemplary standards.
• Offering alternative home remodeling resources while keeping true to "old house" standards-their salvage warehouse is loaded with architectural treasures

  Homes Helped By the Old House Society

  Other than the David Davis Mansion, some of the homes helped by the Old House Society in Central Illinois include:
  

• James R. Jordan House: Built in 1902, Queen Anne variation, Architect Arthur Low Pillsbury. Original Owner-J.B. Jordan.
• Edmund O'Connell House: Built in 1898, Queen Anne Victorian style, Original Owners-Edmund and Mary O'Connell.
• Madison P. Carlock House/Davis Rose Inn Bed & Breakfast: Built in 1894-1897, Queen Anne style, Original Owners-Madison P. and Nancy Carlock.
• Capodice Family Home: Built mid-century, Traditional style, Buiilder Harlan Bliss, Original Owners-Capodice family.
• 1899 Frank Parritt House: Built in 1899, Queen Anne style, Original Owner-Frank Parritt

Their members consist of anyone interested in the active study and practice of historic preservation. Owning an old house is not a prerequisite-loving them is. To become a member and enjoy the perks of being a member, go to their website at OldHouseSociety.Org.

To become a sponsor, contact Mike Ryburn at coordinator@oldhousessociety.org or Phone 309-82-00548. (Old House Society of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois)

Why Preservation is Important

Some people may think that preservation of historic landmarks is a waste of money. However, there are several important reasons for preserving these landmarks:

1. Brings communities and families together
2. Gives the community and families a sense of pride in their community.
3. Differentiates the community as unique from all other communities
4. It is environmentally responsible, reducing landfill waste, and depletion of natural resources. Prevents urban sprawl.
5. It provides an opportunity for educating people with hands-on, real life tools about the history and culture of the community and even the nation. Opportunities to learn real-world lessons in history, math, sociology, environmental studies, urban planning, transportation issues, economics, building crafts, and many more disciplines. Real life experience teaches better than movies, or textbooks.
6. It provides economic stimulus to communities in the form of tourism.
7. Once they are gone-they are gone forever. There is no rebuilding. (http://www.achp.gov/)
   

Sources

¹http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Blagojevich
http://www.achp.gov/
Old House Society of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois