HR1047

LRB093 22221 HSS 51208 r






1

HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
2
    WHEREAS, The Ninety-third General Assembly of the State of 
3
Illinois has begun taking an active role in improving the State 
4
Capitol grounds by creating the position of Architect of the 
5
Capitol, its Board, and its Capitol Historic Preservation 
6
Board; and

 
7
    WHEREAS, Former House Clerk Tony Leone has taken upon 
8
himself, without any State or local funding, the renovation of 
9
an historically significant Springfield landmark, the 
10
residence of George Pasfield, located adjacent to the State 
11
Capitol Visitor's Center and bordering the west boundary of the 
12
Capitol Complex; and

 
13
    WHEREAS, Mr. Leone's efforts have become a catalyst for 
14
other developers and property owners to begin a mixed use 
15
reinvestment in this once declining neighborhood, bringing a 
16
part of the central city back to a bright future; and

 
17
    WHEREAS, Mr. Leone has also taken it upon himself to 
18
research the history of the Pasfields, a family of early 
19
settlers of Springfield who brought with them the 
20
entrepreneurial spirit that helped Abraham Lincoln spearhead 
21
the effort in 1837 to have the Capitol of Illinois relocated to 
22
Springfield; and

 
23
    WHEREAS, Tony Leone is to be commended for his historical 
24
research which reminds us that it was George Pasfield Jr., the 
25
builder of the 1896 Pasfield House, who served as President of 
26
the Capitol Grounds Purchase Association whose purpose was to 
27
enlarge the State House grounds and to erect the Centennial 
28
Memorial Building; Mr. Pasfield along with John W. Bunn donated 
29
the largest share of the monies given by the people of 
30
Springfield for this purpose; and

 
 


 






HR1047
- 2 -
LRB093 22221 HSS 51208 r




1
    WHEREAS, Tony Leone is to be commended for performing the 
2
research to allow the City of Springfield to designate the 
3
entire 40 acre estate and residence once occupied by three 
4
generations of the Pasfield family as the Pasfield House 
5
Historic Area; therefore, be it

 
6
    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
7
NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
8
the Pasfield House Historic Area be recognized as part of the 
9
Springfield and the State Capitol's history, and that the 1896 
10
Pasfield House remain a tribute to the Pasfield family's 
11
contributions to Springfield and the State of Illinois; and be 
12
it further
 
13
    RESOLVED, That restructuring and renovation efforts such 
14
as those undertaken at the Pasfield House and initiated by Tony 
15
Leone be recognized for its beauty; and be it further

 
16
    RESOLVED, That we commend Tony Leone, the proprietor of the 
17
Pasfield House, and his architect, Bruce Ferry, for their 
18
imaginative efforts to transform a deteriorated structure, 
19
bringing a revitalization to the neighborhood directly west of 
20
the Capitol Complex; and be it further
 
21
    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
22
presented to Tony Leone as an expression of our esteem.