Two historic homes in Jefferson City were awarded local landmark designations Tuesday night with unique on-location presentations.
Each year, the city's Historic Preservation Commission designates historical properties with the Landmark Award to recognize the properties' historical significance and contribution to the community.
Typically, the awards are presented in council chambers at City Hall, but this year the plaques were presented to the building owners on site due to the coronavirus pandemic, something Mayor Carrie Tergin said they may have to continue in the future.
This year, three homes have been awarded the designation - the Standish House at 103 Jackson St., the Tweedie House at 601 E. High St., and the Charles M. and Yvonne W. Hoard House at 815 E. Dunklin St.
On Tuesday, members of the HPC, neighborhood services specialist Rachel Senzee and Tergin met with the owners of the Standish House and Tweedie House to present their awards. The award for the Hoard House will be presented at 1 p.m. July 14 at the home.
Standish House
Levi and Amanda Burke Williams purchased the Standish House, a Queen-Anne style home with an iconic keyhole entry - in April 2019 from the Jefferson City Housing Authority.
The home was originally built around 1880 and was home to Sarah "Mildred" and Austin Standish, the daughter and son-in-law of Gustavus and Patience Parsons, who owned the property next door at 105 Jackson St.
In the 1980s, the home was converted into a law office by Robert Hawkins III. In 2005, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building in the Capital Avenue Historic District.
The Williams family hopes to have the interior of the home complete by September so they can move in with their infant daughter and use the house as their family home.
"We're excited to see what's going on in Jefferson City," Amanda Burke Williams said. "I know there's other places in Missouri and all over the country where they have problems with blighted properties or abandoned properties, and nobody is successful at getting those properties back and getting them back into circulation, and (the city) has been.
"So to be a part of that, and to be able to see that happening and sharing that story is really exciting to us."
Tergin said being able to present the awards on site Tuesday added an extra meaning to them.
"I'll be honest, it's very overwhelming with emotion to be here," Tergin said. "I literally have tears in my eyes when I walk up and see this family and baby that's going to live in this home. To think about having a young family enjoying this property now is bringing this house back to life."
The Williams family have made a lot of progress on the Standish house in the last year, including a complete renovation of the kitchen, a new back deck and a bright blue coat of paint on the exterior.
The couple have set up a blog called OutStandish Preservation to chronicle their renovation journey.
Tweedie House
The Tweedie House, which stands tall at the corner of East High and Marshall streets, also received its designation Tuesday.
The building, built around 1880, is now owned by and houses Historic City of Jefferson.
The Queen Anne-style home was designed by Charles Opel, the same architect that designed Ivy Terrace, 500 E. Capital Ave., and some other historic homes in the area, according to the application.
John Tweedie was a Scottish immigrant who moved to Jefferson City to manage the shoe factory inside Missouri State Penitentiary.
In 1950, the house was converted into the Dulle Funeral Home and served as a hospice home in the 1990s.
The historic preservation group purchased the home in March 2019 to use as their office space, as well as provide a meeting area and public research library.
The building also includes a newer addition, which disqualifies it from a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. HCJ is currently using that space to store salvaged items from historic houses that are being demolished post-tornado.
"When you talk about the Tweedie family and all of the history, from where it started to where we are today, it just really makes sense that now Historic City of Jefferson is able to take this and tell the story of history in our entire city from this place," Tergin said.
Donna Deetz, president of HCJ and a member of the Historic Preservation Commission, said they have enjoyed working on the home since purchasing it.
"We're enjoying bringing this place back to life," Deetz said. "It's miraculous what it looks like compared to what it did look like, and what's it's been through."