Part 2 continues the Victorian Home Tour story that was highlighted in the February 16th Roots feature
SPRINGFIELD, MO. – The third home on the tour belongs to Jonny and Jen Jeppsen, at 1525 N. Washington. The Jeppsen’s have lived in Midtown for a year and a half. Moving from Ozark, MO, once their kids graduated high school and started attending Evangel University, the family decided to move to the Midtown area. “We were excited to be part of the current movement building up Midtown.” shared Jen, whose husband owns a construction company, which has assisted in many of the renovation projects the Jeppsen’s have undergone in their new-to-them historic home.
“The character of a historic home is unmatched. They have many stories to tell. We love the personality and history encapsulated in our home.” shared Jen. While this home was on the tour of homes in 1995, this was the Jeppsen’s first experience hosting. While they hired outside help for a few projects, most of the home’s updates and décor were completed by the Jeppsen’s.
The original owners of the Jeppsen home were the Clinger Family that built the home in the 1920s. Mr. Clinger owned a mortuary on Benton Street. The home went through two generations of Clinger’s. The Jeppsen’s are the third family to own the home. Jen Jeppsen warns those in the market for a historic home, “Only do it if you have a lot of money or talent. Our home did not have central AC, which was a big expense. Old homes are a lot of work, but they are worth it.”
The next stop was the Silva Brown House at 1109 North Benton, built in 1885. The couple, Tony and Dr. Jennifer Silva Brown, purchased the home in May 2022, moving in when renovations were complete in November of the same year.
According to Tony, the home was built and occupied by W.C. Crutcher and family in 1885. The Crutcher’s lived in the home until 1898, when they moved to Texas and sold the home to Mrs. Gertrude Clarke, her husband and two sons. Gertrude’s husband passed away shortly after, in 1890. Mrs. Clark, known for her strong advocatation of women’s suffrage, inhabited the home until 1917.
The home was owned by various individuals until 1947, when sold and purchased by the Sigman Nu Fraternity.
This was the first time the home was showcased on the Victorian Home Tour. The couple started preparations immediately after Halloween. “Down came the pumpkins and skeletons and up went Christmas lights and trees.” said Tony. While the preparation was a family affair, Tony said Jennifer deserves most of the credit.
The Silva Brown’s were excited to show off the history of the home, along with its massive renovations. They placed photos of the original condition, along with the history and subsequent renovations, for the public to view. Mr. Silva Brown enjoyed visiting with folks who claimed to have rented the upstairs. He said there were at least two renters that visited on the tour, one in the 1960s-70s and the other from 2010.
Mr. Silva Brown’s advice on owning a historic home, “Stay away!” He further offered: “If you are going to do it, my advice would be to research everything. Know your contractor and have the home inspected before, during, and after renovations. Make the decision to keep it historic or make it livable early on.” And lastly, in the sage words of an attorney, “Get EVERYTHING in writing!”.
The final stop on the home tour was 1101 N. Benton, the home of Steve and Carla Wiemer, known as the Holly Glynn Castle. The Wiemer’s bought their home in 1998, spent 10 months making updates and officially moved in in 1999. The home was originally built in 1931 by Robert Glynn (from the Smith Glynn Calloway Clinic on S. National). Glynn was married to a woman whose father owned a home on the property.
Steve Wiemer desired to live in a historic home since he was 8 years old. Before the couple purchased the home on Benton, they lived in a colonial-style home built in 1939. The Wiemer’s did most of the renovations themselves but hired a structural engineer for the kitchen renovation and movement of walls. “Old houses always need something.” said Steve.
Weimer enjoyed sharing his love for historic homes. “The advantage is the attachment you feel to an old home.” Wiemer’s parents were antique collectors. His love for historic homes came from a Victorian home tour in Minneapolis, MN several years back. “New houses are great, but I have never walked in and felt like I wanted to live there.” shared Steve.
The Wiemer’s enjoy living in the heart of Springfield. “The idea of a 10-minute walk from our home to Commercial Street and the square is appealing.” said Steve. “Some wonder why we want to live in the center of town. We walked into this house and it immediately felt like home. We have great neighbors. We have come to know more folks in Midtown than we knew in our previous neighborhood. There is a collective mindset when you reside in a historic part of town.”
The Wiemer’s home is perfect for the neighborhood Christmas party they host each year. This six-level, brick and limestone castle is richly authentic in a gothic Tudor style. The wrought-iron spiral staircase invited visitors to enter each room, including a library, several gloriously decorated bedrooms, and a period-bathroom that could host its own holiday party. The library is not only cozy, boasts a working fireplace, and invites the public to ‘sit a spell’, but the original collection of Dr. Glynn’s books were lovingly donated to the Wiemer’s by Dr. Glynn’s family.
The last stop on the Victorian Home Tour was the Sacred Heart Church, where visitors congregated to shop the large array of handmade craft vendors and stock up on homemade holiday desserts.
