Historic Alton home facing uncertain future –

ALTON The president of an Alton preservationist group is concerned, but hoping someone may buy a 154-year-old brick house at auction next month, which needs extensive renovations.

Its been vacant for four years, and its been in foreclosure limbo, said Terry Sharp, president of Alton Area Landmarks Association regarding the once stately, Wise-Olin House at 1128 State St. in Alton.

It is a great big house, its in jeopardy, Sharp said.

Deutsche Bank National Trust Co., trustee for Fremont Home Loan Trust, is putting the property up for auction at 11 a.m. Aug. 18 at the Madison County Courthouse, 155 N. Main St., Edwardsville.

The best-case scenario is someone on the 18th (August) makes a bid for a good price and fixes it up, Sharp said. My fear is they will get a minimum bid, which the bank would reject.

It would remain in bankruptcy if that happened, he said. Condition, then, of the Victorian Italianate house would continue deteriorating. If it goes like this much longer without help, it will be in jeopardy. The bank views it as a liability.

While Sharp has talked from time to time with Alton code inspector George Carter and city Corporation Counselor Jim Schrempf about the property, he said he has not been able to reach bank officials about the house.

People have asked me about contacts regarding the house, but it wasnt listed with a real estate company and previous owner Ronald Montgomery has left the area, so he could not help them, Sharp said.

The three-story brick house, with a newer sunroom addition on the north side, is mostly hidden from view along busy State Street with its overgrown bushes. Sharp said the house is just inside historic Christian Hill Historic District and offers seasonal views of the Mississippi River, namely when leaves have fallen from the overgrown trees and shrubs in its back yard.

According to Alton Township Assessors Office records, it was constructed in 1860.

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Historic Alton home facing uncertain future -