BLESSING OR CURSE, CITY HAS LOST MANY HISTORIC GEMS OVER YEARS

THE ROCKHOUSE: Definitely the oldest structure in town today is the Edward Criddle House (toddy owned by Elda Ellis) at 119 S. Missouri. Known as "The Rockhouse," the original ashlar limestone wing was built in 1814 or 1815. A brick wing was later added to the back and the front porch was replaced. Jackson USA Signal/Mark Evans

HENDERSON HOUSE: The Victorian charm of Dr. Robert T. Henderson's home at 401 N. Missouri is as evident today as when the beloved physician was practicing medicine early in the century. Jackson USA Signal/Mark Evans

VICTORIAN MAJESTY: The turreted brick Queen Ann of Kevin and Debbie Schearf, at 425 N. High Street is possibly the most outstanding example of Victorian architecture in Jackson. The carefully restored jewel was first owned by Joseph and Mary Criddle Williams. Jackson USA Signal/Mark Evans

WELLING ESTATE: One of the oldest dwelling surviving in Jackson is the Welling Estate, at 209 W. Main. The West wing is believed to have been built in 1817 and the East wing in 1838. The towering linden tree, which largely obscures the front of the house, is said to have been planted by Charles Welling in 1840. Jackson USA Signal/Mark Evans

KNEIBERT HOUSE: Built in 1856 of hand-fired bricks, the Jacob Kneibert House was another important historic home that was lost during the last 50 years. The old home was razed in 1963 to make way for a parking lot for the First Baptist Church. Photo courtesy of Jackson Heritage Association.

OLD KID ON THE BLOCK: John and Vicki Abernathy's 1908 brick Queen Ann at 104 E. Washington, is the only surviving historic home on the courthouse square. Jackson USA Signal/Mark Evans

While many would argue that Jackson has never appreciated its architectural heritage, some degree of appreciation has been around for over a century.

Much of the original town fabric went up in smoke in the calamitous April 17, 1888 fire. Virtually the entire uptown business district burned, including "Battle Row," as the main strip of buildings was called.

Looking back on the 50th anniversary of the Cape County Post in 1936, editor and publisher Fred E. Kies had an unusual take on the fire.

"People talked about the loss being so many thousand dollars, but except for personal property destroyed, it was not a loss," Kies wrote. "It was a positive blessing to the town. Let the older people go back in their minds to that long row of shabby frame structures, very much like those of an old mining town.

"Before the fire no owner dared put up a more modern building because of the fire risk on all sides; they would not agree to demolish the old landmarks, and so it took a big fire to prepare for better town."

Whether business owners in the 1880s really did refuse to demolish "landmark" buildings seems a tad dubious today. Kies' approach, though, has been largely in keeping with community fathers over the decades.

Immediately after calling the 1888 fire a blessing, Kies noted that "that row contained buildings dating to the earliest history of Jackson."

Of course, the fire made possible the impressive rows of Victorian storefronts -- gradually disappearing or being mauled by remodeling over the last 50 years.

Today a number of significant buildings, dating back to the late 19th and early 20th century still stand. These are being lost at an alarming rate, though.

"Apparently people just don't have the interest or don't care enough to preserve their heritage," said Vicki Abernathy, a historic preservation booster and member of the city's Planing & Zoning Commission. "We have several buildings left that are precious to the town. We need to preserve what we have left."

During the 1865 sesquicentennial, a large tour was given of Jackson's historic buildings. About 125 people went on the historic home tour, according to the Aug. 11, 1965 Southeast Missourian. The tour was made in two school busses, with Paul Mueller and Mrs. Paul Mueller Jr. serving as tour guides.

Stops included the Grossman House on North Hope; the Dr. George Washington Vinyard home , the Z.M. LaPierre House, the Bean House, the Edward Criddle "rockhouse," the T.E. Wilson home on West Main, the Bast, Hawn, Byrd and Slack houses on North Hope, the then-abandoned Oliver House and farm homes of Ben Brook and R.C. Ranney.

Today the county jail sits where the Grossman House once stood. The historic Sanford House (mentioned in the same article), which stood in the south section of the city park, was razed in 1950. Many of the others are either gone, or endangered.

The Bean House was called "the oldest house in Jackson" in the article. The small wood home sat on the bank of the Hubble Creek. It, too was lost. Today the Lakenan Insurance Agency sits basically where the house was.

The assertion that the Bean House was the oldest, though, doesn't seem to be accurate.

According to historian K.J.H. Cochran, blacksmith Henry Hand operated a blacksmith shop on the same site at the very beginning of the 19th century. According to Cochran, Hand's brother, William, purchased the lot Feb. 15, 1816, following Henry's death and built the house after that.

This would make the surviving Edward Criddle House at 119 N. Missouri the oldest house in town, even before the Bean House's demise.

Now owned by Elda Ellis, the ashlar limestone beauty was built in 1814 or 1815, at the very onset of the city of Jackson. Known as "The Rockhouse," it was built by hatter Edward Criddle and still maintained original cherry woodwork and mantles at the time of the 1965 house tour. A large brick wing was added to the rear of the home and the front porch was expanded. The original limestone structure is impossible to miss, though.

The house at 209 W. Main, now owned by Benjamin Hartsfield, etc., has been owned by Dr. & Mrs. T.E. Wilson and has been called the Frizzell, Welling and Granger home over the years.

The house appears to be contracted in three or four parts, with the oldest said to date from about 1817. The first addition was added in 1838. The first Masonic Lodge meetings were held in the house. A huge linden tree in the front yard is said to have bene planted by Charles Welling in 1840.

Victorian Queen Ann homes still grace many of the older streets. Among the outstanding examples are the turreted brick masterpiece at 425 N. Hope, owned by Kevin and Debbie Schearf (built by Joseph and Mary Criddle Williams) and the graceful wood Queen Ann, once belonging to Dr. Robert T. Henderson, at 401 N. Missouri. These graceful houses are disappearing, too.

Abernathy's 1908 brick Queen Ann is the lone historic home on the courthouse square.

"I feel very fortunate to live in this house," Abernathy said. "Through progress,' Jackson has lost a lot of historic buildings."

The stately Queen Ann, with its ornate original mantle and much original woodwork, stands alone against the ever-growing army of modern city and county buildings.

"I'm definitely not against progress," Abernathy said. "I just think you need to preserve your heritage, too."

Some call the loss of the city's "built heritage" (a National Trust for Historic Preservation term) a blessing, opening the door to more modern buildings. Preservationists call it a curse, depriving present and future generations of the aesthetic, cultural, and historic benefits of its own heritage.

Whatever one's views, the city of Jackson needs to decide how it feels about historic preservation -- while the heritage remains to be preserved.