Day House

Built in 1875, the Day House is the third-oldest brick home in Greene County. It is named after its builder, George Sale Day, who operated a masonry business called the Hudson Brickyard. Day, who served on the city council and as mayor, used the bricks from the brickyard to build the house, which was also meant to advertise his work. In terms architecture, the house is also notable for its Georgian and French Empire design. It is currently occupied by the Betty and Bobby Allison Ozarks Counseling Center. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

George Sale Day was born in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1826. It appears he lived and worked in New Orleans before moving to St. Louis. He arrived in Springfield in 1871 and bought the brickyard. Four years later he bought the lot for the house in May and completed the home in the fall. In 1876 Day was elected to the city council and served two terms. He was elected mayor in 1882 (the historical marker states he became mayor in 1886). Under his tenure, the city grew and a new water works was built. He (and the other Republicans in office) only served one term as a result of controversy of the location of an African-American school. Day never ran for political office again. He operated his brickyard until 1889 and became a partner in a grocery store. Brick from Day's business were used in other buildings in Springfield, some of which still stand today.

It is unclear when Day died, but his wife, Theresa, passed away in 1882. Their grandchildren inherited the house and the sold it to Milton A. McClure, who co-ran the grocery store with Day, in the early 1900s. The McClure family owned it until 1943. Over the next couple of decades the house fell into disrepair but it was saved from demolition in the late 1860s by local architect and professor RIchard P. Stahl, who operated his architecture practice in the house. Stahl was instrumental in the effort to get the house on the National Register of Historic Places.

"The Day House 1875." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed May 16, 2022. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=170832.

"Inside a Piece of Springfield’s History: The Day House." KSMU Ozarks Public Radio. September 17, 2014. https://www.ksmu.org/local-history/2014-09-17/inside-a-piece-of-springfields-history-the-day-house.

Lightfoot, B.B. & Tucker, A.H. "Day House." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. November 7, 1976. https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/Day%20House.pdf.