Mt. Pleasant house will soon be gone

The house at the east end of Vernon Street in Mt. Pleasant (312 Vernon Street) will soon be gone, but what a life it has had.

Vernon Street runs parallel to the railroad tracks and is the first street south of the tracks, running to the east of Lincoln Street. This short street was named for Rev. Joseph B. Vernon [1812-1882] who moved to Henry County in 1852; became a successful farmer; and in 1864 moved to Mt. Pleasant. J.B. Vernon was a minister in the M.E. Church and was twice elected to the office of Justice of the Peace. Reverend Vernon probably never lived on his namesake street.

The earliest mention of Vernon Street appears in the 1859-1860 Henry County Directory. Several families lived on this street, mostly tradesmen: William Davis, stone mason; Albert Fairchild, carpenter; Russel Lathrop and James Simmons, merchants at the depot; H.L. Timmerman, boots and shoes salesman; and James Wilson, painter. It’s difficult to determine the exact location of where these neighbors lived in proximity to one another.

By 1870, the Mt. Pleasant City Directory provides more detail and reports Samuel Andrews residing at the corner of Vernon and Poplar. It’s not known if Andrews lived in the same 312 Vernon Street residence that remains today.

In 1880, Andrew W. Teter was listed at 312 Vernon Street and Teter’s occupation was “Keeping Hotel.”

Charles S. Rogers, in his “Bystander’s Notes” editorial report of 1881 Mt. Pleasant Businesses, confirms that a hotel, “the Burton House,” was at this address.

John Wesley Burton and his family operated a hotel at this place from 1881 through the early 1890s. The 1886 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map labels the “Burton House” and clearly outlines the two-story structure with an office at its northeast corner and a kitchen in the rear. Across Vernon Street, to the north, next to the railroad tracks, were the Mt. Pleasant Roller Mills, Flour Mill and Grain Elevator.

By 1893, the J.W. Burton family had moved away to Burlington. Families who remained on Vernon Street: B.G. Walters, Henry Kronheimer, J.E. Loving, and W.T. Watters.

The 312 Vernon Street property seems to revert to a single family residence for several years, though by the 1940s the property was known as the Ellis Tovrea Apartments.

In the 1960s the Barnett family resided at this historic corner spot.

Drive by and pay respects to the house at the east end of Vernon Street; it will soon be gone.