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Update
April, 2012: Landmarks Illinois was able to
provide a follow-up technical assistance report for this
site with a grant from the Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency.
Click here for report.
Soper-Burr House
812-814 Prairie St., Bloomington
(McLean County)
Located on a highly visible corner facing a public
square, this is one of the oldest and most prominent
homes in the Franklin Square Historic District. Vacant
since June 2009, the house has been in the City’s
building court due to neglect and numerous code
violations. A local bank foreclosed on the property in
2010 and is seeking a new owner. Neighboring homeowners
believe if the home is not acquired and renovated soon
its declining condition and appearance will negatively
impact the overall health and character of the district.
One of the most architecturally significant homes in
Bloomington, the residence was built in three distinct
phases. Hudson Burr built an Italianate-style house in
1859 on a lot facing Franklin Square, which had been
dedicated to the city in 1854. Burr expanded the home in
1871 with a two-story, three-bay addition in keeping
with its Italianate style. In 1890, Burr’s daughter and
son-in-law, Emma and Clinton Soper, built a third
addition in the Queen Anne style. The Franklin Square
Historic District was home to some of the community’s
most prominent citizens, including U.S. Vice-President
Adlai Stevenson and Illinois Governor Joseph H. Fifer.
In the 1940s, the Soper-Burr House was converted into
apartments, which were well managed for many years. Its
recent decline in the hands of a neglectful owner has
had a negative impact on efforts to promote and maintain
the city’s oldest historic district. The City is working
with the bank that now owns the property to find a new
owner who will renovate it. However, if the Soper-Burr
House is not acquired and renovated soon, the City may
be forced to demolish it. It would be the first house in
a local landmark district lost to demolition due to
neglect and the foreclosure crisis.
What You Can Do
For more information on the property, contact:
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Greg Koos
Executive Director
McLean County Museum of History
(309) 827-0428
GKoos@mchistory.org
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