Piece of history wiped away in Church's self-interest…read more
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Although last Monday was Memorial Day, a day originally created to honor those who fought in the Civil War, apparently certain members of Trinity Episcopal Church didn't get the message. On May 31, one day later, the church chose to demolish the West Berry Street home of Civil War hero Robert S. Robertson. Instead of helping preserve our collective history, they chose instead to wipe the corner clean so the public would get an unobstructed view of their church.
Although Robertson was originally from New York, he moved here with his wife in 1866. He fought for the Union in the Civil War, was wounded twice and awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his gallantry in action. Upon moving to Fort Wayne, he was not only a successful attorney but became one of the most prominent and influential men of his time. He became Indiana's lieutenant governor in 1886, was instrumental in passing legislation creating Fort Wayne's first public library, participated in the planning of our current Courthouse and spoke at the laying of the Courthouse cornerstone in 1897. In 1873 he built a home for his wife and five children at the southeast corner of West Berry and Broadway, now 633 W. Berry, and lived there until his death in 1906. His wife was one of the women responsible for decorating the new Courthouse and was one of the founders of the Mary Penrose chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and its first organizing regent.
Robertson's life in his West Berry Street home comes alive in his biography, published by the Allen County Public Library. Lavish parties hosted by the Robert sons in their West Berry Street home, including their anniversary party in 1890, are described in detail. It also includes memories of Robertson's daughter, Annie, who confesses that the Robertson children often staged fashion shows, trying on the guests' cloaks in the upstairs bedrooms, and mentions Mrs. Robertson's concern that her new home was too close to the Wabash and Erie Canal to be a safe place for her children.
This year Trinity Episcopal Church acquired the Robertson House. ARCH, the local historic preservation organization, began a dialog with certain church members in an attempt to restore the house on the site where it had stood for 137 years. One month ago, the church instead corresponded with ARCH and gave us 30 days to agree to move the building, or it would be demolished. ARCH confirmed that intention in writing. Two days after doing so, the Robertson home was razed.
It would seem that if one owns a piece of Fort Wayne history as significant as the Robertson House, one has an obligation, a responsibility, to the rest of the community to be good stewards of our collective past. The Robertson House has been the Church's neighbor for 137 years. It deserved to remain a part of the historic West Central neighborhood on the site where it was built, and if that was not possible, it should have been relocated. The church has failed in its obligation to all of us.
When I drive down Broadway now, instead of having a clear view of the church, what I see is an example of short-sightedness and self-interest, a memory of what was and an image of what could have been.
Not much of a way to commemorate the service of a Congressional Medal of Honor winner, is it?
Karen E. Richards is the president of ARCH board of directors. She is also the city prosecutor. She is very pissed off.
*Yelp* Note, I stole this directly from Karen E. Richards newspaper article!
The reason was to dare the prosecutor to "try" anything. She will not.
