Church, group back historic house’s move

A citizens committee and St. Joseph Catholic Church in Sylvania agreed yesterday on a plan to move the 166-year-old Vogt House out of the way of a planned parish expansion.

In a meeting with committee members, parish representatives offered to donate the house, in the 5300 block of North Main Street, and pay $16,000 toward the cost of moving it. The church bought the house, said to have been a stop for escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad, last month and planned to tear it down.

"We’ve got a meeting of the minds," said Dick Hoppenjans, a member of the parish’s building committee. "Neither of us can be particularly happy, but we can still have a win-win."

The church agreed to let Ted Ligibel, a preservationist and professor at Eastern Michigan University, inspect the house for items of historical significance and to allow the structure to be winterized to prevent deterioration from cold, snow, and ice.

John McHugh, a member of the citizens group, said preservationists will have about six months to raise most of the estimated $110,000 needed to move the house from its site along Ten Mile Creek.

The Sylvania Historical Society has led opposition to the proposed demolition, with support from some members of St. Joseph. During a meeting last night in the Sylvania Heritage Museum, preservationists reluctantly agreed that moving the house would be better than losing it.

"If this group were to insist that the house stay where it is, that is an unacceptable demand as far as the parish is concerned," Mr. McHugh, a Sylvania lawyer, said. "If we can’t find a way to resolve this, we may have nothing."

By moving the house, "you definitely lose integrity, there’s no question about it," Dr. Ligibel said. "I am ripped apart inside because of this, but I don’t see where there’s another option."

The house sits on four acres directly across the street from the church. The land connects to the east with an additional eight acres owned by the parish.

The church has proposed moving the house about 200 yards to the north, to the northeast corner of a parking lot along Harroun Community Park.

"It’s a reasonable site, and it’s on the ravine, which is historically significant," Mr. Hoppenjans said.

The parish plans classrooms, recreational facilities, and meeting rooms on the Vogt House site. St. Joseph, with about 10,000 members, is one of the largest parishes in the Toledo Catholic Diocese and needs room to expand, he said.

"The reality is we had no place to go," Mr. Hoppenjans said.

The debate over the house’s fate has divided its members and produced some hard feelings. Several parishioners said they believe the church acted without the support of its members.

"I really can see the need to expand, and that’s a reasonable goal, but is it right to do that at all costs?" Martha Houston asked. "As a St. Joe’s parishioner, I see them getting a bad reputation by pursuing this."

Bonita Scheidel, a Sylvania councilwoman and parishioner, said she fears a backlash against St. Joseph and its members.

"I think it’s really important for [the citizens committee] to take the focus away from parishioners," she said. "What is going on is not necessarily a reflection of the membership of the church."