Just across Fourth Street from the Executive Mansion, in the shadow of the Mansion View Hotel, sits a small, unassuming house that has seen better days. It’s known as the Condell House, and it’s one of the oldest remaining houses in Springfield. Built in 1842 as an addition to the long-gone First Methodist Church at the corner of Monroe and Fifth Streets, the Greek Revival house was purchased by John S. Condell of Springfield in 1852 and moved to its current location. Now, the house may be demolished, says Ron Ladley, a member of the Springfield Historic Sites Commission. The house is owned by the estate of the late Charles Robbins, who was a prominent real estate broker and developer in Springfield. Robbins had offered the building to the Junior League of Springfield along with a large donation to move and restore the building, but the cost was too great, Ladley says. The house has deteriorated considerably in recent years, he says, and the City of Springfield has ordered the estate to demolish it. A demolition permit for the house is pending, which Ladley says means it will probably be standing only a few more weeks – unless someone can save it. “If someone wanted to step up to the plate with some money, we’d be glad to give it to them,” he said.
This article appears in Oct 23-29, 2014.
