SEMO makes good call on Himmelberger house

Earlier this year, Southeast Missouri State University announced it would demolish a historic house it owns which had fallen into disrepair.

Known as the Himmelberger House, located on North Henderson Avenue, the facility has most recently been used as the Jane Stephens Honors building.

At the time, the university cited cost to rehabilitate the structure and lack of need for the space as reasons to demolish the building.

Following the announcement, however, a number of people pushed back on the idea of tearing down the home that was built in 1921.

Recently the university announced it had reversed course and now seeks to sell the property. The change, per Southeast's vice president for finance and administration Brad Sheriff, stems from the SEMO's change in governance. Now that the university's governing body is a Board of Governors instead of a Board of Regents, Southeast has the legal authority to sell the property.

The historic preservation community is pleased with the decision.

"The Himmelberger House has been an important part of SEMO's history and that of the city of Cape Girardeau," said Ryan Lane, chairperson of Cape Girardeau's Historic Preservation Commission. "The building had been used for women's study classes back in the 1950s and beyond. For us, anytime we see a building saved in the city of Cape, regardless of who owns it, it's a massive positive for the entire city. A lot of our tourism base is tied to our history."

Not every historic building can be saved. There are times where it is simply not financially prudent or even feasible. But we understand there has been interest from at least some interested parties in purchasing the home. We would hope the eventual buyer puts the necessary investment into it so that the home. We also see this as a positive for the university, both financially and in how they listened to the community on an issue that clearly resonated with many.