Mueller Home
Springfield Journal Register, date of paper which originally published the following is unknown.
THE MUELLER HOME, WEST SIDE LANDMARK, AT 133 S. DOUGLAS---
This pretentious old residence with 160 foot frontage on the west side of Douglas Avenue south of Adams -
here pictured in the Nineties - stands on a part of the original site of the Sangamon County Fair Grounds, linked
up with the early days here and especially the Lincoln period. The tract was entered in 1824 by Andrew Laswell who disposed of his interests
to Washington Crowder, a well-known pioneer figure here, in 1852. John W. Chenery acquired the property in 1866 and built the original house, consisting
of six rooms, three upper and three lower, with kitchen and servants' quarters in the basement. However, about the same time
Mr. Chenery bought the homestead at Pasfield and Lawrence, and without having lived in this house sold the property to George W. Shutt, lawyer.
At that time there were only two other houses in the immediate neighborhood - those of James C. Robinson and D. L. Phillips. The
property then comprised a square block, bounded by Adams, Douglas, Monroe and Illinois. In 1874 Mr. Shutt sold to David C. Brinkerhoff, and that same year the latter
disposed of the place to Henry R. Mueller, whose son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Ira L. McKinnie, are the present owners.
That makes a total of 70 years that the home has been in the Mueller family. Mrs. McKinnie tells us that the property was extensively
landscaped in 1884 by Henry Strange, who in addition to constructiong drives, gardens, walks, etc., set out the fine linden and walnut
trees which are so beautiful today. That same year, Mr. Mueller enlarged the house to fourteen rooms. There were later alterations in 1918
and 1930, and the house is now a "triplex" while retaining the general appearance of one large residence. The big barn
on the place, destroyed by fire some years ago, was the original restaurant on the old Fair Grounds. All down the years
of the Mueller occupancy, the home has been noted as a center of hospitality and culture. In particular, many notable musical events have
been given there. It is one of the few remaining landmarks of the West Side, linking up the older Springfield with the present.
Submitted by: Jeanie Lowe.
Index