Springfield's Brinkerhoff Home: February 2012

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

UPCOMING EVENTS

March 11 St. Patrick’s Day Party

May 5 Spring Fair

June 10 Bunco Party

September 8 Fall Fair

October 14 Victorian Tea

November 10 Chilli/Soup Dinner

December 8 Christmas Champagne Party

MEMBERSHIP DUES

Enclosed are envelopes for 2012 membership dues. Please return envelope with your renewal by April 1^st.

NEW MEMBERS

Welcome new members – Sandra McGuire, Claire Carmichael and Michael & Jean Kienzler.

RENTALS

If you are interested in renting the Home for a wedding, reception, shower, dinner party, etc., please contact Nancy Nolan at 528-5087.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARTY

The menu consists of corned beef and cabbage, dessert and drink. Cost is $10.00 per person. Carry outs will be available. Call Susie Weiss at 341-3728 by March 5^th for reservations.

DONATIONS FOR SPRING FAIR

Please remember the Brinkerhoff Home when you start your spring cleaning. If you have items you wish to donate, contact Nancy Nolan at 528-5087 or Susan Canny at 494-1571 for pickup. For silent auction items, please contact Penny Greek at 546-8890. Also, representatives will be at the spring fair with animals from the Animal Protective League.

THANK YOU

Thanks go out to Brenda Kochmann, Home Beautification Chairman and her helpers – Dore Skeels, Sharon Norris, Penny Greek, Betty Humphrey, Mary Jo Rappe and Garden Club members Diane Hetherington, Jane Bundy, Judy Frasco, Nancy Gorman, Karen Grant, Mary Kay Hinkle, Janet Keistler, Angela Oldfield, Patti Quandt, Christine Rameriz-Campbell, Ada Lynn Shrewsbury, Eileen Straeter, Jan Sorenson and Sally Seiple; Benedictine University Physical Plant Crew and the college soccer team for carrying the decorations back upstairs.

TROLLEY PLANS

The Foundation has been working with the Lincoln Park Association and Enos Park Association in efforts to make long range plans for trolley tours in Springfield. These plans would involve trolley rides to historic sites in Springfield.

EMAIL ADDRESS

The new e-mail address for the Home is Brinkerhoff-Home@yahoo.com

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

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

UPCOMING EVENTS

Brinkerhoff Home History

DSDigitals Picture Galleries

Blog Archive

About Me

DSDigitals official Brinkerhoff photographer