Gustave Koerner
Printed with permission of the Belleville Journal and Dan Wiszkon, staff writer. His article, "Holiday gala to benefit Koerner: Historic house was built in 1852", was published Sunday, 24 November 2002. Photo courtesy of the Gustave Koerner House Preservation Project.
A close friend of Abraham Lincoln, Koerner was an immigrant from Frankfurt, Germany, who lived in Belleville from 1833 to 1896.
A lawyer of considerable reputation, Koerner served in the Illinois State Legislature from 1842 to 1844 and was appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court in 1845. He went on to serve as lieutenant governor from 1853 to 1857.
Koerner played an instrumental role in organizing the Republican Party in Illinois. He helped Lincoln draft the party's anti-slavery platform before Lincoln's first successful bid for the presidency in 1860.
In 1861, Koerner left his law practice and was instrumental in raising an infantry regiment, the 43rd Illinois, to fight in the Civil War. Historians believe it was Koerner's influence that rallied German-Americans behind the Union cause.
Lincoln appointed Koerner as minister to Spain in 1862, where he is credited with maintaining Spain's neutrality during the Civil War.
Koerner and his wife, Sophia, had five sons and three daughters. He died in 1896 and is buried in Walnut Hill Cemetery [Belleville].
The Gustave Koerner House
Taken from the St. Clair County Historical Society News Release 22 Nov 2002
The most significant historical property in Belleville will undergo a top-to-bottom restoration and reopen as an interpretive center. Decades of neglect, deterioration and ill-advised remodelings punished the building. Exposure to water, freezing and thawing, pests and vandalism caused extensive damage.
fire destroy it on January 21, 1852*. Later that
year, Koerner rebuilt the brick home as it
appears on the exterior today.
. . . The house’s Greek Revival design was the dominant
style of American domestic architecture from about
1830 to 1860, so popular that it became known as the
National Style. On the Koerner house, the elaborate
door surround, the wide band of trim beneath the
cornice, and the incised decorations are all classic
Greek Revival elements.**
A comprehensive Historic Structures Report is necessary to:
- document and describe the property
- analyze the mortar, plaster, paint and wood
- evaluate the mechanical, electrical and structural needs for public use
- prepare a restoration scope of work with design recommendations, measured drawings and budget forecasts.
When restored, the Koerner House will provide educational and interpretive space where the public can explore themes illuminated by Koerner's life and accomplishments
- the movement to end slavery
- the Koerner–Lincoln friendship and their emerging philosophy
- the all-consuming mid-19th century American debate and the dramatic changes it wrought in American history and
- the intellectual energy with which immigration infused this country.
The city of Belleville purchased the property with a grant secured by Representative Tom Holbrook in 2001. With a preliminary architectural evaluation in hand, officials repaired the roof where damage posed the greatest threat. The city of Belleville continues to maintain the grounds, and volunteers turn our for clean-up projects. After the restoration, the city will transfer the title to the St. Clair County Historical Society, which will operate the facility.
* **