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Awards
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2007 Preservation Awards
Held May 16, 2007 at the Butterworth Center, the 2007 awards celebrated the 20 years of awards for preservation efforts in Moline . The Quad City Quality of Life Award was presented to the William Butterworth Memorial Trust. The Moline Family Business Heritage Award was given to Lagomarcino's, Inc. (est. 1908).
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The home stayed in the Coryn family until 1983, after which time it saw three different owners, as well as sitting vacant for three years in the early nineties. It was in 2001 that the current owners first saw the house.
The home itself is a combination of the Queen Ann, Stick and Shingle styles, though it is predominantly a late Queen Anne. The exterior includes half-timbered cross gables, a feature on about 5% of Queen Anne houses, as well as prominent, irregular shaped shingles, a central tower, decorative chimney and an enclosed porch. The interior of the home includes approximately 2,700 square feet on the first and second floors, though it appears much larger due to its prominent hilltop location.
With the help of a historic paint expert who put together several color schemes, a local painter the current four color scheme was chosen.
Although this home won an MPS award in 1991, the home as it stands today is much different.
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Mr. Staes was a business partner in Staes & Coopens Wine, liquors and cigars located at 1702 - 7th Street in the corner building which is now Sams Take Time Tavern and later owned a saloon located at 1801 – 10th Street, now The Boulevard Restaurant. When prohibition went into effect, he went to work for Louis Sonneville Furniture as a clerk, followed by 14 years with the Moline Park and Recreation Department, retiring in 1948. Mr. Staes and his wife Marie were the parents of a son and daughter.
Angie DePaepe purchased the property in September of 1989. Over the years she has worked to maintain the integrity of her home, doing most of the work herself. One major issue over the past several years had been leaks in the homes tile roof. Angie applied for financial assistance through the city’s Housing and Neighborhood Services program in 2003. She was approved for assistance and placed on a waiting list. With the leaks getting worse with each rain, Angie waited through 2004 and 2005 and not until 2006 after numerous phone calls did she receive her letter indicating she could start seeking bids for repairing the roof.
It was here that Angie learned that her funding allowance was for the complete removal of the present tile roof and replacing it with an asphalt shingle roof. Angie had explained to staff that she did not want to or did she need to remove the whole historic tile roof. She stated that repairs were needed to the roofs copper valleys and the copper flashing around the chimney where it was leaking. She was told that the policy was not to REPAIR roofs, but to REPLACE them. There was no provision for work on a tile roof.
Angie proceeded to collect bids from roofing companies that did tile work and documented their comments. They stated that after viewing the roof they had determined it was in good condition except for areas where the old copper flashing had deteriorated. Angie gained the support of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission and from Alderman Mike Carton and Dick Potter all stating that this was an historic home in Moline’s Olde Towne with the potential of becoming a Moline Historic Landmark and that it should be preserved in its present state. After years of delay, Angie finally got approval from the director of the city’s Housing and Neighborhood Services Program and her tile roof was repaired in the spring of 2006.
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Ownership changed in 1900 when Willard Lamb Velie, John Deere’s grandson, and his wife Anne lived in the residence for two years. Ownership then went to Burton F. Peek and his wife Alice in 1902. Mr. Peeks paternal Grandmother, Lucretia Lamb Peek was a sister to John Deere’s first and second wives, Damarius and Lucenia Lamb Deere.
Alice Peek died in 1908 and Mr. Peek remarried in 1910 and at this time the house underwent some architectural changes creating the house we see today. Mr. Peek, an attorney, worked his way up within Deere & Company eventually becoming its President and Chairman of the Board.
The Atkinson-Peek house was donated to the Rock Island County Historical Society by Mrs. Charles Deere Wiman in 1962. Since that time, the Society has maintained the propriety as a House Museum, adding to its contents with donations from local citizens.
Over the past 44 years, the Society has met the challenges of maintaining this large house both inside and out. In 2005, the Society’s Board of Directors discussed whether to paint the house again, or cover it with vinyl siding. The city’s Historic Preservation Commission denied the Boards application for vinyl siding stating the siding would damage and hide important architectural features on the house. The Society agreed to repaint the house and install 55 new custom made storm windows for better energy conservation.
Orin Rockhold, the Society’s Building and Grounds Chairman, oversaw the restoration and sought bids for much of the work. The Mahieu Paint Company began work by power washing the house to remove loose paint and then scraped it. Damaged siding was replaced and a sealer applied to form a base for the new paint. The beautiful egg and dart frieze that was thought to be of wood was found to be terra cotta tile. Damaged areas to the fascia and soffit were repaired. The siding on the dormers was also repaired and new copper flashing installed assuring that the raccoons will no longer be able to find their way into the homes attic.
The houses old roofing was removed and replaced with a 50 year architectural roof. A new gutter system was installed using gutters and down spouts purchased in Michigan that matched the houses old galvanized ones.
The Society decided while they were making repairs to update the homes sun room. A set of exterior steps had been removed years ago, but the old door remained. It was decided to remove the door and close off the area which meant installing a new window with storm in its place. Orin Rockhold scoured the Quad Cities seeking and finally locating brick that would match the exterior façade of the porch. After the brick was set in and the entire façade tuck pointed the new brick work and new window are barely detectable from the homes original
The chimney, fireplace and house foundation were also cleaned and old paint removed. Broken and damaged bricks were replaced and all areas tuck pointed.
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By 1909 it was apparent that the church building was inadequate for the growing parish. Fundraising began in 1911, but WWI made finances tight and building supplies scares. With the end of the war in 1918, Fr. Culeman organized a “Subscription Drive” (today called a Capital Campaign) raising $30,000 to cover initial design costs. Chicago architects Davis & Davis were retained and on June 8, 1919, previewed plans offering a building with Gothic flourishes reminiscent of those found in northern France and the Flanders region of Belgium. The exterior would be clad in Bedford stone, a grey-beige limestone known for its hardness and strength; stained-glass windows would be made in and imported from Munich, Germany; and a steeple and bell tower would soar 146 feet above 17th Avenue reaching for heaven.
On Thursday, October 23, 1919, the cornerstone for the new church building was laid. It would take an additional four years to complete due to labor strikes and supply shortages. By April 1922 the church interior was complete to the point that Masses could be held. The completed church was blessed and dedicated on Sunday, April 23, 1923. By this time the congregation numbered 2,500 families and school enrollment stood at 500 students.
Only a few of the German made stained glass windows planned were installed due to soaring construction costs. The installation of all 71 windows stretched from 1923 to 1938. Each was completed as funds became available; individual parishioners or families underwrote many. Thirty-three (33) windows in the church proper tell a scripturally based story. There are 6 windows in the east Sanctuary, the Priests’ Sacristy and reconciliation room that depict the 12 Apostles. Thirty-two (32) other windows throughout the church feature imaginative and contemplative color designs but are not scripturally related or depict church figures.
The actual cost for the church when completed was $213,023.27. The building debt was retired by Christmas 1943 but was overshadowed by the death of their founding pastor Fr. Culeman on December 26, 1943, at the age of 63.
In April 1944 Msgr. John Levin became pastor and the Sacred Heart community continued to grow and build: a larger school in 1952 and a convent in 1955. Msgr. Leven passed away on March 5, 1956. Msgr. Francis Blecke, Sacred Heart’s third pastor, arrived in time to celebrate the church’s 50th Anniversary. In 1959 a new rectory building to house living quarters for the priests and business offices for the parish was completed. Fundraising began in 1960 to build a parish hall and on May 10, 1964, parishioners celebrated at the dedication ceremony as Culemans Memorial Hall was blessed by the Bishop. In 1967 the church building, now 45 years old, was in need of a spruce-up. Electrical wiring was replaced throughout, new lighting installed, painted where needed, and everything was cleaned. Msgr. Blecke retired in October of 1975. Fr. Richard Raney and Fr. Duane Jack co-pastored from 1976 to 1980. During that time, Sacred Heart School and St. Mary’s School combined into a new school named Seton Catholic School in September 1978.
Fr. Robert Lee arrived in 1980. To prepare for the Church’s 75th Anniversary, Fr. Lee initiated a spruce-up once again. The interior was redecorated, air conditioning installed, and the church bell electrified. At this time the parish census counted 1,750 families. The parish experienced a growth spurt to 2,000 families and church needs were evaluated. In 1987 the convent was converted to business office space, an adoration chapel, and a pre-school/day-care center. The rectory, where the office space was previously, was then renovated into private living quarters for the priests. In 1988 the Convent was re-named the Lee Parish Center in honor of their pastor. Fr. Lee was not done. An addition to Culemans Hall to provide space for the Religious Education program, group meetings, Cursillo and TEC weekends, and social events was completed in March 1993. In 1996 a new need became aware. The old St. Mary’s school building could no longer pass fire codes. The three Moline church pastors agreed to relocate those students to a newly constructed school building, which opened in January 1999. Fr. Lee retired in 2001 due to health reasons.
Msgr. Dale Wellman arrived in 2001 and began preparing for the 100th Anniversary of the parish in 2006. He initiated a capital campaign dubbed “Preserving Our Treasures.” More than $1 million was devoted to restoration and redecorating of the church. The precious stained glass windows, some in a seriously deteriorated state, were renovated and protected. The pews were stripped and stained and new carpeting was installed. The altar was refurbished with gold gilding. The entire interior was painted with decorative designs on the ceiling. New lights were purchased to replace the old ones giving more light to the interior. The Stations of the Cross were also refurbished. The Tower Clock was rebuilt and the new electronic clock receives radio waves from the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado. The exterior was tuck-pointed as well as cracks in the interior covered.
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During the 1940’s the building was often referred to as “Radio Center” as it housed the local WQUA radio station until 1968. Old timers may also recall the Shetter Fude Furniture and Piano Store which was located here from 1945 until 1983.
The King’s Daughters Thrift Shop has been located in the 1317 store front section of the building since 1969. John Morrow purchased the building in 1999 and opened Morrows Martial Arts Academy on the second floor.
John, realizing that his building was in need of repairs, approached the Moline Centre Partners Façade Improvement Committee in the spring of 2006 for assistance. New tenant Katie McNeil, part owner of the 5th Avenue Antique Shop, offered to assist John with his plans for the removal of the street level 1960’s era wooden mansard awning and replacing it with historical retractable awnings.
John and Katie utilized historic photos acquired from archivist Dick Sandberg as they determined how best to restore the buildings three store fronts. The removal of the wooden mansard uncovered clerestory windows above the storefronts and additional decorative terra cotta tile. Damage was repaired to the brick and terra cotta tile and new energy efficient clerestory windows were installed. Retractable awnings were installed over the King’s Daughters Thrift Shop and the 5th Avenue Antique Shop. How to treat the center opening which had been blocked in for WQUA was a challenge. Removal was not an option, so it was decided to paint the blocks to match the terra cotta tile thereby minimizing the alteration and helping it to blend in with the building. The entry doors and the wooden kick plates beneath the store front windows were scrapped and repainted and new period entry lights were installed.
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This was in accordance with the wishes of Mrs. Butterworth who wanted to provide a place for groups who were involved in worthwhile charitable, cultural, educational and civic work to meet and especially those organizations who had no headquarters of their own.
Mrs. Butterworth chose the three members of the first Board and they included her niece, Mrs. Charles Deere Wiman who bequeathed her property, the Deere Wiman House to the Trust after her death in 1976.
The three board members gave careful consideration as to how best to use the Trust which included Hillcrest, four blocks of vacant property to the south, various securities and the King’s Daughter’s building on Third Avenue in Moline. They looked at several options, including the construction of a new building, but eventually decided to use Hillcrest as the new community center.
Ruth Moll, Mrs. Butterworth’s long time personal secretary and companion was named as the Director of the Center and she personally greeted each of the estimated 2,550 people who waited outside, some for over two hours, to view the interior of Butterworth Center on Sunday, April 29, 1956. A second open house the following Sunday drew an estimated crowd of some 3000.
One wonders what they thought of the lovely furniture, the plush carpets and the lovely gardens. Did they gape at this 18th century ceiling? How many noticed that copy of the famous Van Dyke portrait of Charles II that a few weeks earlier had been correctly identified in a recent TV quiz and won the contestant $64,000.
Certainly, Mrs. Butterworth would have been delighted to hear the young boy tell his mother, “This is far better than Mount Vernon, we can go into all the rooms here. They don’t have any ropes to keep you out.”
The first group that met on opening day, Monday, May 7, was, In His Name’s Circle of King’s Daughters, a group that had included Mrs. Butterworth in their membership. Quickly, the Center became a busy place and at the end of the first year, records showed that over 25,000 people had used the lovely house. These included groups as diverse as Junior Achievement, Illinois Home Extension Services, Girl Scouts, A Garden Club Show and a series of lectures called “Are You Prepared For Marriage?” sponsored by the Y.M.C.A,Y.W.C.A., Moline High School and The Moline Welfare Community. Cost for all six lectures, a $2 registration fee.
Within 3 months of opening, the Board realized the need for an additional kitchen upstairs and closed for the month of August to make the necessary improvement. Since Mrs. Butterworth always loved Christmas, in December of 1956, Hillcrest was ablaze with lights, lovely decorations and a large and beautifully decorated Christmas tree.
According to Bill Wundram, a high school student once asked Mrs. Butterworth how many rooms she had in her big house. Mrs. Butterworth said, after a pause, she did not know. Later she told Ruth Moll they would never count the rooms so they could always say they did not know. Miss Moll apparently used that response from then on. However, she also told the questioner they were welcome to count the rooms for themselves if they liked.
In the over 50 years since the creation of the Trust, changes have occurred. Originally, Butterworth Center closed on Sundays, but after Ruth Moll retired in 1990, (she had served for 34 years), it was decided to allow groups and functions to use the house on Sundays too.
Board members now number 25 and the Trust has sponsored over 18 new community programs and events. Since Mrs. Butterworth loved children, Mrs. Butterworth would especially like the many programs offered to children. Such as the free day camps for Quad-City daycares, and the Music on the Lawn summer concert series for pre-school and elementary children; a marvelous way to introduce the arts to many children who might never have a chance to attend a quality daycare camp or experience the thrill of going to a concert. One short story illustrates what such an experience can mean. A very shy little daycare person apparently was so excited, she just could not stop talking about the concert and how much she loved it. Mrs. Butterworth would have treasured that response.
The Butterworths were also interested in education and the rich history of the area. The seminars for teachers, the lecture series on history and arts, the week-long summer camp for ages 10-12, the scholarship program for Moline High School seniors who wish to continue their education in History or the Arts and the Junior Historian Jamboree for Moline and East Moline which is now in its 12th year are just some of the ways the Butterworth Trust has enriched the lives of countless members of our communities.
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Angelo returned to the U.S. in 1901 going to Burlington, Iowa, where his brother Carl ran a store. He purchased a horse and wagon to peddle fruit and worked a while for Lagomarcino-Grupe Co., one of whose owners was a distant relative. Brother Carl’s store did fair business but Angelo longed to open his own confectionary and thought Davenport, Iowa, would offer a better opportunity where Cousin Louis Corsiglia lived. Louis had candy and ice cream making experience and agreed to open a store with Angelo.
Wanting to see the Illinois Tri-Cities, Angelo took a streetcar along Moline’s 3rd Avenue where he saw Deere factories and others. He observed how busy Moline was so in 1908 Cousins Angelo Lagomarcino and Louis Corsiglia opened their first Moline store at 410 - 15th Street. Luigia, whom he sent for in 1902, worked by his side. The cousins did quite a fruit business in those early days before stores had much to offer. They made taffies and hard candies such an anise and candy canes, and offered locally made chocolates. Cigars, cigarettes, and plug tobacco were also sold. In 1915, the two sons of Louis, John & Joseph, opened another store a block south on 15th Street. Shortly after, the Lagomarcino-Corsiglia partnership was dissolved.
In the fall of 1917, Angelo purchased the little building at 1422 Fifth Avenue for a store of his own but Rank Shoe Store had a lease on it so the Lagomarcino store, for a few years, was next door at 1420 Fifth Avenue. In 1921 George Rank and Angelo Lagomarcino traded locations and Lagomarcino’s has been at the 1422 Fifth Avenue location since.
The decor of the store was carefully planned. The mahogany booths were custom-built by Moline Furniture Works. The Tiffany-style lamps lighting each booth were specially made in New York. Cassini Tile of Rock Island installed a hexagon terrazzo floor with blue flowers to compliment the lamps. The metal ceiling, which was installed when the building was built in 1894, remained. Today you will find the same booths, lamps, tile floor and metal ceiling when you walk into the Moline store along with the original cigar and candy cases which are still in use.
In 1918 Angelo purchased Lagomarcino’s famous hot fudge recipe from a traveling candy salesman for $25.00. Luigia was appalled at the price but Angelo knew the value of the recipe. The secret recipe continues to be made in small batches today and served warm in individual two-ounce glass pitchers for customers to pour over the homemade vanilla ice cream topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.
Luigia died July 21, 1921. Angelo returned to Italy with his youngest son Tom for a couple years. While there he married his wife’s youngest sister, Carmella.
Angelo and Luigia’s three children Charlie, Mary and Tom grew up working in the store. Charlie was chief candy-maker. Mary packed the candy boxes, ordered retail merchandise and cooked for the luncheonette. Tom was the ice cream maker.
During the depression years the Lagomarcino family stuck together working long hours 7 days a week to keep the business going. The Meadowbrook Candy Co. fell on hard times. After urging by business and banker friends, Charlie purchased the candy recipes and equipment. Thus homemade chocolates became available at Lagomarcino’s.
Charlie was an avid reader and had not intended to be a candy maker. He graduated from Moline High School when he was only 16. The store’s candy maker had quit so he took over the position working for a year to save money to go to college. He wanted to be a lawyer. On the day he planned to enroll at Augustana College for pre-law he went to a physician for an insurance examination. The doctor told the 17 year old he had a serious case of diabetes and would live only a year or two. His dream shattered, Charlie returned to the store to make candy. He lived to be 55 years old. Charlie was very creative. The Bachelor’s Kiss, Wild Cherry Banana Special, Happy Thought and Sweetheart Sundae, found on today’s menu, are some of his creations. One sundae even featured an alcohol soaked sugar cube that was lit when served called the Mount Vesuvius. In June of 1934, after 12 years of working on a formula, the Lago soft drink was born and was manufactured for wholesale distribution for a short time. You will also find this creation on today’s menu.
Mary was a pleasant, smiling face that greeted customers. At one time Lagomarcino’s was the place to go after a prom or game. Mary was also a “no-nonsense” gal who kept the young teens in-line so as not to scare off other customers. Although she never married, Mary was devoted to her family and the business.
Originally ice cream was purchased from the Lagomarcino-Grupe Co. In 1933 a counter-type freezer was purchased and placed in the center of the store so customers could watch the ice cream being made. The freezer was a Bastian-Blessing model and was unique because it was a vertical freezer. In the early 1950’s a horizontal Bastian-Blessing freezer was purchased and ice cream production was moved to the basement. This very machine continues to produce Lagomarcino’s ice cream today.
As head ice cream maker, Tom was also responsible for delivering the ice cream to the two Moline Hospital accounts. Before everyone had an automobile he would get up at dawn and ice the containers to drag to the hospitals on the streetcar.
Charlie and his cousin Joe Schenone learned the art of working with chocolate. Angelo met Joe during one of his trips to Italy. Joe was out of work and eager to come to America, so Angelo took him in and put him to work at the store. Although not a blood relative, Joe was family to the Lagomarcino’s. At the age of 45, Joe returned to Italy where he met and married his wife Anita. Joe took over as chief candy-maker in the 1950’s as Charlie’s health began to fail. After Joe’s death in 1978, his widow Anita continued the art until her death in 2004. Today Tom, Jr. and brother-in-law Terry Otten produce the candy.
Angelo died in 1941 at the age of 69. Charlie died in 1961, and Mary died in 1975 which left Tom to continue on the family business with his wife Betsy and their family of 6. Betsy, originally from Wisconsin, was living in California as a medical records librarian. Wanting to be closer to home, she moved to Moline for a position at the Moline Public Hospital. Tom and Betsy met at Lagomarcino’s. They were married on August 27, 1949. Betsy started working at the store when Mary’s health began to decline. She’s credited for establishing the shipping department.
Tom and Betsy’s children, like their father, grew up working in the store. The boys - Tom, Jr. and Paul - delivered fruit baskets, did fountain work, and helped their father make the ice cream. Once Paul was too generous with food coloring in the strawberry ice cream so Tom, Sr., called it Christmas Strawberry. Folks asked for it for months after it was all sold. The girls - Mary Beth, Anne, Carol, and Lisa - waitressed and packaged candy. Anne must laugh now to remember when she beautifully packed several boxes of candy, then cried the next day because they were all sold. Tom said this was a good economics leason for her.
Fruit baskets made with only choice fruit have always been offered at Lagomarcino’s. Before they became popular they were promoted as “artistry in fruit.” thus the phrase “The Michelangelo of Fruitland” appeared on the label. Fruit baskets are now a very popular item at Christmas. The luncheon counter is generally closed and filled with baskets for delivery or pick-up. One year a local priest so enjoyed the holiday atmosphere in the store that he personally blessed the baskets. There was no extra charge for those blessed.
The homemade rye bread, which has been offered since the 1920’s, was originally made by Mrs. John Dustin of Rock Island. She would bring the bread to the “ladies exchange” in the New York store to sell. Lagomarcino’s made arrangement for Mrs. Dustin to bake her special rye bread only for them. Today, the same recipe is baked and served.
Mary Beth or Beth, a special education teacher with a masters in reading, returned to the store to work with her parents in 1981. She’s quoted as saying, “It’s so much a part of my life. My husband said if the store ever closes, it would be like a death in the family.” Tom Jr., a special education teacher with a masters and PhD in special education for employing people with disabilities, took a three-month leave of absence in 1990 to return to the store. He’s never looked back. Lisa, a counselor at the Handicapped Development Center, returned in 1992. With his kids return, Tom began to reduce his hours and fully retired in 1995.
During a trip to a confectionary in Dubuque, Tom Jr. was introduced to candy automation. The machine took the place of hand dipping. He brought back the idea to Lagomarcino’s and research began as to where such a machine could be housed. Obviously the small Moline store was not well suited. Joe Whittey approached them about his building in the Village of East Davenport. Yes, the interior of the building could be arranged for candy production and the remainder could be a second store location. Another store? The kids brought their father to see the building. He told them it looked like a good location and “you’ve got parking.” So with their father’s blessing, the Village of East Davenport Lagomarcino’s opened in 1997. The interior was planned to have the same “old, homey” feeling as Moline.
Anita was uncomfortable with a machine doing part of her art and was considering retiring. The kids promised her she could continue to hand dip chocolates in Moline as long as she wanted, but she was still not certain. Once the 30 year old chocolate machine was up and running, Tom Jr. brought her to see it. “How stupid of me,” Anita replied “and I was going to quit.” Anita loved working in Davenport thereafter.
Copper kettles, wooden paddles, marble top tables are still found in both Lagomarcino’s locations. Toffee, caramels and rolled cream centers are still made at the Moline location and transported for dipping and packaging in Davenport. 200+ pounds of chocolate can be produced per day; that would have taken one week by hand before. The art of stringing – initializing the top of the chocolate piece to identify its contents – is still done by hand once the piece has been dipped.
Chocolate Easter Eggs, an old world tradition dating back to the 1850’s in Italy, are one of Lagomarcino’s trademark items. Each egg is molded in two halves and filled with chocolates that have been wrapped with fine wax paper for protection. Then the two halves are sealed and covered with a final layer of chocolate in a swirl design. The finished egg is nestled in a box on a grass nest. There is a tremendous amount of labor involved but the end result is something extremely unique. This past Easter, a serviceman stationed in Iraq called the Moline store wanting to share something from home with his buddies. The largest chocolate egg was shipped immediately.
To answer customer’s requests for something special during the Christmas holiday season, the Winter Surprise was introduced in 2001. Just like the Easter Egg, the circular sphere, which looks like a massive chocolate snowball, is filled with chocolate pieces. It too has become another Lagomarcino trademark.