COMMISSION TAKES STEPS TO DESIGNATE LANDMARKS

The Cape Girardeau Historic Preservation Commission, appointed in April 1990, considered its first applications for local historic landmark designations Wednesday night.

The commission viewed both applications favorably and will work to designate the properties as local landmarks.

One of the sites, a home at 151 S. Spanish commonly referred to as the "Hoche Home," was first built in the late 1850s, commissioners said. At least four additions have been built onto the home, but commissioners agreed that the historic designation for the property would be appropriate.

Commissioner John Boardman, who formerly lived in the home, said that although the building has been altered, it remains a "very unique, original" structure in Cape Girardeau that has not only historical value, but architectural significance as well.

"It is a very interesting house with a very lively history," Boardman said. "I think it might be considered representative of the Georgian period.

"I would say, yes, certainly for Cape Girardeau, it would have an architectural significance."

Commissioner Bob White said he also was impressed with the house. He said that before the commission approves the local historic landmark designation, the property's owners, Brock and Kathleen Whittenberger, should provide the commission with documentation of the home's history.

Commissioner Art Mattingly said that such documentation would be needed in the city law to designate the site as a landmark.

"My concern with this application is that we're asking that they give us a statement of significance, and I read this (application), but I'm at a loss to see the significance of the structure," Mattingly said.

He said he thought the home was appropriate as a city landmark, but said the documentation would be useful.

"The statement of significance needs to be tightly done," he said. "We need to have them spell out specifically the significance, and we need to include the particular architectural features to be included in the ordinance.

"We're not saying that it's not significant, or historically important, or culturally important, we just need to get that for the record."

The other application was for a home at 406 N. Louisiana that was built in 1939 using materials from a building constructed on the same site in the 19th Century.

Commissioners said that although the structure itself has little historical significance, its builder a renowned local architect gives the home "cultural importance."

The commission will consider further action on the two sites at its next meeting Oct. 16.

In other business, commissioner John Schneider reported on progress of an ad hoc committee formed to consider ways to preserve Old Lorimier Cemetery, which has been subject to repeated vandalism over the years.

The Historic Preservation Commission has considered applying for state funds to survey the cemetery in the hopes of its qualification for the National Register of Historic Places.

Schneider said the ad hoc committee decided security of the cemetery was its first priority.

"It seems to be the consensus that if we don't have security measures there, that we won't have anything there to preserve," he said.

Schneider said the group will begin a fundraising campaign to try to pay for a security fence around the property.

The commission also discussed taking steps to designated the cemetery, along with the Common Pleas Courthouse on Lorimier Street, as local historic landmarks.

City Planner Kent Bratton said that the landmark designation at the cemetery will allow the city staff to draft a more stringent ordinance against vandalism at the site.