|
 In 2000, Fever
River Research prepared a National Register of Historic Places
Nomination Form for the John F. Bretz House and Warehouse, located
in the historic Enos Park Neighborhood of Springfield, Illinois.
Between 1886 and 1905, this property served as the residence and
place of business for John F. Bretz, a successful building
contractor who served multiple terms as Supervisor of City Streets
in Springfield. During the period 1877-1905, Bretz played a
preeminent role in the construction of the city’s sewer system and
the paving of streets in Springfield. While not the most glamorous
contributions to community development, paved streets and sewers
were necessary elements to the creation of a modern city, and
contemporary writers proudly boasted of Springfield's advancements
in these areas during the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
The Bretz House and Warehouse represent the two most important
structures in John F. Bretz’s later career and are emblematic of the
considerable success he enjoyed. The residence also is considered
architecturally significant in being a well-preserved example of an
early Queen Anne dwelling in Springfield. |
