Springfield's Brinkerhoff Home: August 2011

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Brinkerhoff Fall Fair

The annual Brinkerhoff Fall Fair is less than 2 weeks away. It will be from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm, Saturday, September 10th, 2011.

Vendors, you should have received your contracts by now and they should be in by September 6th.

If you have any questions, you may call Mary Jo (217) 525-1420 ext. 222 or e-mail her at mjrappe@ben.edu

We are still looking for volunteers to help with various Brinkerhoff foundation booths. You can e-mail info@brinkerhoffhome.com for more information.

Upcoming events:

Victorian Tea - October 16th
Christmas Champagne Party - December 3rd

The Brinkerhoff Foundation supports two websites. www.brinkerhoffhom.com and www.brinkerhoffhome.org. Both have links to the picture gallery to see past fair pictures. An interactive map of the home is available on the first (dot com) site.

Brinkerhoff Home History

George Brinkerhoff, a successful businessman and political associate of Abraham Lincoln, built the Home for his wife and six children in 1869 for the sum of $35,000. Elijah E. Myers was the architect. After Mr. Brinkerhoff's death in '1928, the then Springfield Junior College purchased the home and began classes there. By 1974 the home had deteriorated so badly the college considered razing it. Doris Bucari, a college trustee, was given one year to show evidence of saving the home. work progressed slowly until she and other community members founded a not-for-profit corporation, Brinkerhoff Inc. in 1977. Restoration of the home was the aim of the organization and with help of the Brinkerhoff Auxiliary, a group of interested citizens organized by Doris, and the assistance of many other people, work on the home was put in high gear. Through the years Brinkerhoff Inc. and the Brinkerhoff Auxiliary have been disbanded and replaced by the Brinkerhoff Foundation. Practically the entire interior has been restored. paint has been stripped and reapplied, new wallpaper applied in some rooms and, of course, plumbing and rewiring. The floors, blackened from age and hard use, were stripped and refinished. Lovely chandeliers have replaced hanging fluorescent fixtures. Each room has been beautifully furnished with period furniture in keeping with the time of the home. Some of the furnishings have been donated, the rest purchased with funds obtained from the Spring and Fall Fairs held each year and other money raising events. The exterior brick has been completely tuckpointed and in 1984 an Illinois Department of conservation matching grant provided for the reconstruction of the cupola. We feel Doris would be more than proud to see the Home as it is today. The Home has been placed on both the National and Illinois Registers of Historic Places and provides elegant ambience for weddings, receptions, catered parties and a variety of private celebrations.

DSDigitals official Brinkerhoff photographer

Welcome to the Brinkerhoff Home web blog. On March 15th, the Brinkerhoff House Foundation, Board of Directors designated me, Dulany F. Sriner owner of DSDigitals.com their official photographer. As we pursue the development of this Blog, we will be providing a listing of events along with other Brinkerhoff information. Regular posts will provide up to date announcements from the board. Please be patient as we try to build the site with the goal of making it available for registered members to post their own announcements. At that point, I will provide help as needed but it should manage itself. Until that point, postings will come through me. For current pictures of the Brinkerhoff House on my web site go to: http://www.gallerypg.com/WebGallery/Brinkerhoff%20Home/index.htm

Springfield's Brinkerhoff Home

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Brinkerhoff Fall Fair

Brinkerhoff Home History

DSDigitals Picture Galleries

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DSDigitals official Brinkerhoff photographer