Owners of Barry House in St. Charles home still pushing for demolition

Owners of 180-year-old St. Charles home are seeking the city’s permission to demolish the building and neighboring residence to make way for a parking lot.

The house at 217 Cedar Ave. in downtown St. Charles, known as the Barry House, was built in 1844.

The Baker Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Charles has owned the house since 1993 and has been seeking permission to demolish it since 2017.

Because the properties are located in a historic district, they are required to receive a certificate of appropriateness from the city in order to demolish.

Owners petitioned the Historic Preservation Commission for permission to demolish the building in October, but did not receive a positive recommendation. They will continue to seek permission from the city‘s Planning and Development Committee meeting at 7 p.m. on Dec. 9 at City Hall.

The church also owns the property at 211-215 Cedar Ave., and have been the OK to demolish that building, but not the Barry House. The homes are located on the south side of Cedar Avenue just west of Third Avenue downtown, one block west of the church at 307 Cedar Ave.

The Barry House was formerly owned by Judge William D. Barry in the mid 1800s. The home displays Greek revival architecture and Abraham Lincoln was said to have stayed in the home while visiting Barry, according to records from the St. Charles History Museum.

At the October meeting, Baker Memorial United Mothodist Church pastor David Aslesen told the commission that the condition of both structure has deteriorated to the point that they are uninsurable and have been the target of several break-ins, trespassing and vandalism in recent years. He said the properties have become a financial burden for the church and presented the plans to build a parking lot on the property.

While the Barry House has not been given a landmark designation, it is located in the city’s historic district and has been classified as a contributing structure to the city’s history.

The Historic Preservation Commission members expressed disappointment with the church’s failure to maintain the properties and claimed they did not do their due diligence in trying to sell the Barry House.

Per city code, if the city deems it appropriate to demolish the buildings, it may disregard the commission’s recommendation and approve a Certificate of Appropriateness.