Historic Preservation in Peoria (Not!)

PEORIA -- Here's the awful story of how a historic church in Peoria was demolished, with the consent of its owners, who were bribed, and the city officials of Peoria (who were either bribed or are fools).

On July 1, 2005 without prior warning, Methodist Medical Center in a diabolical move demolished the Peoria Universalist/Unitarian Church, 908 Hamilton Boulevard -- a century-old, unique work of art.  Today it is just another green area. Flat. Ugly. WE WILL NOT FORGET!   What might have been.     The reality:         Historic preservation is the only valid basis for saving inner city and deteriorating neighborhoods. Denver called a moratorium on demolition, and it paid off big for that city.  In St. Louis, Mo., Soulard, the historic district, does not allow demolition of anything, and it's one of the most desirable inner city neighborhoods to live in, with residences worth six figures and more. Here's the way the building looked just prior to demolition. It was listed by the Landnmarks Preservation Council of Illinois as one of the 10 most endangered historic places in Illinois for 2005.       • PRE-DEMOLITION INFORMATION: (Didn't save it.)  The historic Universalist/Unitarian Church building, 908 Hamilton Boulevard, is now owned by Methodist Medical Center. • It could be demolished by Aug 1, 2005 unless the hospital decides to re-use it. • The building is structurally sound, has excellent acoustics, and would make a good auditorium for meetings and concerts, or medical museum, or both. • Designed by architect B.L. Hulsebus in Classical Revival Style, the 1911-vintage building is a unique work of art. • Lydia Moss Bradley contributed to its building. Jane Addams, Clarence Darrow and Bertrand Russell spoke to Peoria audiences in the building. • Peoria cannot afford to lose another of its historic structures, which alone keep it from looking like everytown, USA.       At the time, Methodist was paying it's CEO $500,000 a year.  It was spending $1 million a year on advertising including skyboxes at the ball park and fireworks. It didn't even need the lot and has never used it for anything.     AFTERMATH: UUs built a new church in the suburbs, went $500,000 over budget. That's what it would have cost to completely renovate the historic building. They chose a "virgin" site, where in the fall of 2006, six oak trees had died from "construction injury, drought, disease or a combination of causes," the church newsletter reported.
_________________________________ A brief history of the Peoria UU Church The building at 708 Hamilton Boulevard, designed by Peoria architect B. L. Hulsebus in Classical Revival style, was dedicated May 28, 1911. The Universalist church in Peoria was organized on May 6, 1843, and has been an integral part of the community and the church home of many of Peoria's most active and community-minded citizens from its earliest days, among them Tobias and Lydia Moss Bradley, who founded and gave the land for Bradley University, the Peoria Park District and other civic entities. When the congregation grew and needed to build a new church on Main Street in 1866, members subscribed generously and Tobias Bradley and Sidney Pulsifer advanced additional funds to complete the church.  It was dedicated Jan. 1, 1868.  The United States General Convention of Universalists was held in the church in 1885. As the church grew it continued to need more space.  It sold the Main Street building to the Masons at the turn of the 20th century and bought the present site, 708 Hamilton Boulevard. A small Gothic church designed by Herbert E. Hewitt was first built on the site, but shortly after Dr. B. G. Carpenter became minister in 1907, the congregation needed to expand and decided to build on the same site a church of classic Grecian design which would afford greater seating capacity.  At the 1911 dedication of the new building, the Peoria Star newspaper wrote, "It is not too much to say that (the church's) influence in this city is in the highest degree helpful, spiritual and in line with advanced thought." (click on the image, left and below, to see larger views.) In 1919, wings were added to each side of the building, increasing the seating capacity to nearly 800, at a cost of $31,000. From 1911 and through the 1920s, long before television or C-Span were available, the church was known widely for its Sunday Evening Lecture series which became so popular that the Fire Marshall issued a warning that people could not be seated in the aisles. Leading speakers including Jane Addams of Hull House, the English mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell and famed lawyer Clarence Darrow were among those who came to Peoria and spoke there.  In 1930, Dr. Clinton Lee Scott became the minister and under his leadership a drive began to rid Peoria of illegal gambling.  He was the only Universalist minister to sign the Humanist Manifesto. Scott and his wife, Mary, founded a birth control clinic, and he became a nationally known author of works such as "Religion Can Make Sense" (1949). In 1960, on a national level the Universalists merged with Unitarians, and the name was changed.  In 1962, after a $90,000 renovation and expansion, Dr. Dana McLean Greeley, the first president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, commended the church for remodeling its original structure and remaining a downtown church. "It is an occasion for rejoicing that you have remained to serve in the heart of your community," he stated, as quoted in The Sesquicentennial History of the Universalist-Unitarian Church of Peoria (1993). In 1968, during the Vietnam war era, the church formed the Peoria Area Peace Committee and allowed draft counseling to take place, because potential draftees had practically no where else to go to learn of their rights under the Selective Service laws.  The building has long served as a meeting place for activist groups such as local chapters of the National Organization for Women and the American Civil Liberties Union. It recently served as a site for an anti-war, pro-peace meeting after a downtown march, shortly before the U.S. invaded Iraq.   Architecturally the building is unique in Peoria and significant for its Classical Revival style.  Its dome contains a magnificent stained glass skylight which admits light into the sanctuary.  Two of its stained glass windows depict scenes from nature, a mountain view and a forested stream. The building is sound and has had many improvements made to it.  It is part of the "street of churches" on Hamilton Boulevard. (A version of  this history was presented to the Peoria Historic Preservation Commission in August, 2003.) _________________________________   ANOTHER PEORIA LANDMARK DESTROYED? Architect Bernard L. Hulsebus (1876-1957, right with wife, Edna) was a civic leader in Peoria, Ill, and a member of the city’s Building Code Commission, the Chamber of Commerce, the Central Illinois Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, as well as the Creve Coeur Club and the Odd Fellows Lodge. He once served as president of the Rotary Club. He designed Methodist Hospital in 1920 and the building is still standing though modifications have disguised its design. Ironically, hospital officials now want to demolish another significant building that Hulsebus designed, the Universalist/Unitarian Church, next door to Methodist. With its dome, the church in some ways is reminiscent of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Jefferson was never a Unitarian but he rejected the trinity and held beliefs similar to those of Unitarians and Universalists. Hulsebus may have understood this connection and incorporated it into his design for the church. Among the many buildings that Hulsebus designed, Whittier School, 1617 W. Fredonia near Bradley University in Peoria, is still in use. His home at 1204 N. Parkside remains a family residence in one of Peoria’s historical areas. Hulsebus was born in Iowa in 1876 and married Mary Neptune in 1899. She died in 1932. He then married Edna Marx, who died in 1978. A nurse, she was a graduate of Methodist Medical Center School of Nursing. Hulsebus died in 1957, but his survivors live on. He and his wife Mary had two children. Their son Everett, an architect in California, had two sons and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Their daughter, Gretchen Iben, endowed an arts series at a Presbyterian Church in Peoria. The architect and his wife. Hulsebus designed the original building for Methodist Medical Center, shown here.   HERE IS THE FLIER PRESENTED TO THE CHURCH CONGREGATION BEFORE THEY VOTED TO SELL THE CHURCH   Methodist Medical Center is asking UU Church members to do what it can never do itself:  destroy a historic Peoria landmark.  This Faustian bargain would destroy our church’s identity and history.  Methodist should never have asked for this destruction.  It has other land and resources. But since it has asked, we must say ‘No!’ SUPPORT HISTORIC PRESERVATION “This particular place represented the city at its finest and most humane.  It must be retained.  We destroy so many parts of our history.  That is one of our problems of today -- no memory of yesterday, like national Alzheimer‘s disease.“   --Studs Terkel on 4/17/03 as he picketed to save another historic landmark slated for demolition in Chicago, Cook County Hospital.   “I can show you 1,000 tired industrial towns in our country.  Which ones will have the guts to take what they have and rise above the difficulties?“ Ecotourism expert Tom Eubanks on 3/28/03 before the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. The City of Peoria is taking a new look at its historic buildings, as outsiders tell us these are precious resources that cannot be duplicated, and add unique value to keep the area from totally succumbing to ‘the malling of America.‘  Our church, on Hamilton Boulevard, “the boulevard of churches,“ is now part of historic Peoria tours. Other groups in Peoria have fought and sacrificed to save the area’s heritage sites.  Springdale Cemetery has been saved by a genuine grassroots movement whose leaders jeopardized their reputations and their wallets in their cause, and continue to do so. The GAR Hall also has been preserved by people with nothing to gain for themselves. A replica church building in another location cannot replace what we have now. What if the GAR Hall, the Flanagan House, Peoria’s City Hall or other historic sites had been demolished and rebuilt elsewhere?   Other churches are staying put downtown, renovating and prospering.  We can too!                                                            WE CAN RAISE THE FUNDS TO STAY DOWNTOWN   A fundraising drive over several years will strengthen our congregation, as we work together for a common goal. The building needs can be prioritized, and met. We likely will qualify for grants to help.  Historic preservation is national policy, and the state encourages it as well.         See the National Trust for Historic Preservation at www.nthp.org.    . A realistic fund drive would raise $50,000 to $100,000 per year for renovation, by seeking long term pledges. Funds can be borrowed against these pledges if necessary. Other churches have done this, and so can we.  Here’s how it would look with definite goals to be achieved.  The fund totals, on the high side, include architectural and other fees: Phase 1, 1-2 years:  boiler/air-conditioning  $117,000 Phase 2, 1-2 years: elevator-LULA  $116,000 Phase 3, 1-2 years: remodel restrooms/classrooms/coat area/stained glass  $103,100 Phase 4, 1-2 years:  sanctuary(plaster/paint/sound system/floor/cushions/balcony)        and kitchen   $109,520 Phase 5: organ. (Not included in the new-church figures anyway!) Yes it will take a while to turn our present church into mint condition. It’s worth it.  It likely will be completed in time to celebrate the building’s centennial, in 2011! If we get a UUA or other historic preservation grant, and/or individuals champion these projects, the timetable could be speeded up. “As we slouch toward mediocrity, as we rush to become  ‘Anywhere USA,’ we destroy the very things that define our city.  The more we chip away at our architectural heritage, the less able we are to orient ourselves in place and time, and to distinguish ourselves from the generic, monotonous mass of contemporary America.”  John Watson, 4/22/03, letter to Chicago Tribune. NO FEAR, NO FREEBIES Public opinion will never allow Methodist to threaten us or surround us. The hospital needs city approval for any construction, along with public good will. We would have a strong case to protect our historic landmark from encroachment.  Methodist, a not-for-profit charity, should be spending its funds on the uninsured sick instead of destroying a historic Peoria church and landmark. People don’t value what they don’t pay for.  Accepting Methodist’s destruction money could threaten the integrity of our congregation, depriving it of purpose, as our church loses its unique identity to become just another suburban church among many.  We now serve as a meeting place for liberal groups, because of our central location. Let’s stay downtown, in the heart of the city, on the boulevard of churches. We should do it. We can do it! (No church funds were used to create, copy and mail this flier.) LETTERS TO THE PEORIA HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION August 4, 2003 Peoria Historic Preservation Commission City Hall 419 Fulton Peoria, IL 61602 Dear Commissioners: Thank you for voting to hold a public hearing on landmark status for the Peoria Universalist-Unitarian Church.   We appreciate your commitment to the larger community of Peoria, which needs to preserve its historic buildings.   We are enclosing a page from the most recent edition of the church newsletter, suggesting talking points for the advocates of the destruction of this unique building. As you can see, there is no objectivity or second thoughts here from this group. We touched on some of these points in our previous letter, but we rebut them as they are listed here: 1.  The church cannot afford to spend the money:  Not true. Other UU churches elsewhere have held successful building renovation campaigns.  The building is not now dilapidated and could be improved gradually with the help of pledges and would be eligible for a $200,000 grant from the national Unitarian/Universalist Association.  The truth is that certain church leaders have decided they would rather spend their money on other things, that some are enjoying their temporary roles as wheeler-dealer developers, and that some operate or are involved with community not-for-profit organizations and may fear the fund raising competition with their own workplaces.   2.  Landmark status would isolate:  Would it?  What are Methodist’s plans for this site?  No one knows. We doubt the city would allow plans that would totally isolate the church.   3.  Killing the deal at the last minute:  Those opposed to the sale and demolition argued it would be controversial. The advocates for the sale didn’t listen and now whine about the controversy.  Obviously there was no controversy until the deal was made public. 4. Two years of planning:  Not true, unless a secret conspiracy was set up from the beginning.  Two years ago Methodist asked the church how much it wanted for the property, a committee was set up to study that, and the process moved from there. The congregation had about a month to consider the offer, then those who attended the meeting voted (less than 50 percent of the entire membership.) This is a decision done in haste, not over two years. 5.  Landmark status could prevent growth.  Not true.  The church is gaining substantial property from the relocation of Knoxville Avenue due to I-74 reconstruction and would have the space for expansion. 6.  Taking parts of the building...:  This is true -- but it will not replace the loss to the community of a unique and visible building, and taking the windows, etc., may  discourage Methodist from preserving the building itself for other purposes. But let’s be clear here.  Methodist initiated this process, so we encourage you to put Methodist on the spot at the hearing -- to find out exactly what they plan and why they are paying more than three times the property’s assessed value.  Ask them whether they plan to preserve the building. It could become a hospital chapel, for example, a small auditorium for training  or programs (it has great acoustics) or a hospital/medical museum or all three. Please note that the committee negotiating the deal with Methodist (without church input) to our knowledge never considered selling with the condition that Methodist preserve the building for its own use. But that could still be negotiated. Why hasn’t it been considered? You probably have confronted this situation before:  the buyers want what they want, regardless of the larger good to the community, and the sellers are seduced by the money, feeling like they’ve won the lottery. We ask that you take the larger view, and work to preserve Peoria’s historic architecture. If some UUs don’t care enough about the larger community to do that, then perhaps Methodist does. Methodist is a founder of Peoria Next which seeks to attract high quality business and employees to the community.  One of Peoria’s main assets is its historic look that makes it different from other cities. Perhaps the hospital will have second thoughts about keeping the building, a piece of Peoria’s history, and a deal can be negotiated that will save the building. At this point creative thinking is required, and is worth trying.    Sincerely yours, ELAINE and GEORGE HOPKINS Peoria, Il.   6/25/03 To:  The Peoria Historic Preservation Commission Peoria, IL. Dear Commission: Thank you for expressing concern about the potential destruction of the historic and unique Universalist-Unitarian Church.   We have been members of this church since the early 1980s, and are very concerned about the hasty and unwise decision of the membership to sell to Methodist Medical Center.   We are also concerned about Methodist’s motives and intentions in offering to purchase the property at a price more than triple its appraised value, surely a tempting but unwise offer from a not-for-profit charity hospital which takes millions in state and federal tax money to fund its activities.  We also are wondering how this purchase would affect that funding, which is formula-based. We are enclosing an ad that Methodist ran in the Journal Star this week.  Note the marked section, which states Methodist must invest excess funds “in programs and services which enhance the health and well-being of our community.“  It’s hard to understand how destruction of a historic building follows that mission. We hope you will hold a public hearing on the UU church property to explore those motives and plans, and to hold both the church and the hospital accountable for the impact of their decision on the public interest in Peoria to maintain its historic resources.   You should be aware that the UU church membership was not fully represented at the meeting where the vote to sell occurred.  Church Bylaws say only members present can vote, and those members defeated efforts to amend the Bylaws to allow for absentee ballots on this important issue. In the end only 50 percent of the entire membership approved the sale, after a balloting process that some also considered unfair. An attempt to change that process also was defeated. Church spokespersons have said the membership cannot afford to maintain the building. That is not true.  The building is sound and in good condition.  It has been maintained over the years.  It would take perhaps $500,000 to $600,000 to restore the building and its contents including a historic organ to mint, like-new condition with an elevator for better handicapped access. Those funds could be raised over several years.  Those of us who wanted to save the building had garnered $70,000 in pledges in only a few weeks, and had many fund raising ideas which the decision short-circuited. If you need more information, we can send you the minutes of the meeting and information on the building and what it would take to upgrade it and its contents to perfect condition. Thanks for your concern for Peoria.  We have just returned from a weekend visit to Mineral Point, Wisc., an entire town on the National Register of Historic Places, where historic churches and other buildings have been maintained.  The trip was a delight. Peoria will be extremely short sighted to let its historic buildings be demolished.  If some do not recognize that fact, perhaps your leadership will change their minds. Sincerely yours, ELAINE and GEORGE HOPKINS Peoria, Il.   J  WISE WORDS   "Thousands of historic urban houses of worship across the nation... are threatened by years of defered maintenance, financial disinvestment and, in some instances, soaring real estate values that make selling the property an attractive proposition for shrinking congregations.  Abandoning these buildings would mean losing an irretrievable part of the nation's cultural heritage..." Diane Cohen and Robert Jaeger, co-founders and directors of Partners for Sacred Places, a preservation group, quoted in the Washington Post, 6/14/03, and republished in the UU World, Sept. 2003, Testimony, p. 19. www.sacredplaces.org email:  [email protected]