Standing in the 500 block of East Capitol Avenue you can view the Capitol Dome to the west and the walls of the old state prison to the east and in between, a graceful tree-lined street of stately old mansions. There is no better place in Jefferson City to "feel the history." Bounded roughly by State, Adams, High and Chestnut the Capitol Avenue Historic District will be showcased in this year's Historic City of Jefferson (HCJ) Tour.
The event will take place 1-5 p.m. Sunday.
Advance tickets for $12 may be purchased at Carrie's Hallmark, Samuel's Tuxedos, Busch's Florist, Schulte's and Hy-Vee. Tickets can be bought the day of the tour for $15 at the HCJ sales tent at 601 E. Capitol Ave. A free tour pamphlet will be available at the ticket sales tent. It is suggested those with advance tickets begin the tour at the Marmaduke residence, 700 E. Capitol Ave., where the information will also be available.
Seven beautifully restored buildings will be open for tours along the 500, 600 and 700 blocks of East Capitol. A list of the houses to be open for tours can be found on the HCJ web site; www.historiccityofjefferson.org. Visitors are reminded many buildings are not handicap accessible.
A booklet prepared for this tour will include history and evolution of the street, the prison and historic homes with many photos. The booklet will be for sale at the ticket sales tent the day of the tour and later at the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The Capitol Avenue neighborhood has been the subject of much discussion at City Hall and had coverage in local TV, radio and newspaper. Concern has been raised primarily because of the alarming 20 abandoned properties in this historic district. Nineteen of these properties are owned by former funeral home director Barbara Buescher, who still resides in the 400 block of East Capitol Avenue. Some of these are the oldest and most historic homes in the city, including the Parsons house at 105 Jackson St. built circa 1833 and the Standish house built circa 1850. Sadly, the grandest Queen Anne in the city, Ivy Terrace at 500 E. Capitol Ave., built in 1889, and the John Gordon house at 429 E. Capitol Ave. (later Buescher funeral home), built circa 1868, are also on the abandoned property list.
This neighborhood is on the National Register of Historic Places, with nine properties within its borders designated as local landmarks, built by some of the area's most renown architects. Many of Jefferson City's finest examples of Queen Anne, Italianate, Craftsmen, Second Empire, Art Deco and Spanish Revival architecture in the city can be found in this district. Many of the mansions were built by prison labor or by slave labor and were the homes of many of the late 19th century prison industrialists such as Lester Parker and James Houchin.
The goal of this year's tour is to bring attention to this historic, but endangered, neighborhood. The walking tour of seven restored buildings will show the grandeur and beauty of these old mansions but in addition, HCJ would like to bring public awareness to the, extent of decay along the 100 and 200 blocks of Jackson Street and the 400 block of East Capitol Avenue. A short self-guided walking tour of this blighted area (0.3 miles) will take the visitors by some of these properties for a closer look. This walking tour is in addition to the restored homes which will be open for tour.
HCJ hopes this tour will arouse an appreciation of how integral and special this street is to Jefferson City's cultural and architectural history. The city started here. A tour around the blocks of the abandoned properties should also arouse dismay at the dereliction that threatens so many of these irreplaceable mansions and historic sites.