John T. and Lillian Heard House

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the John T. and Lillian Heard House was built in 1906 for the family of John Heard, a lawyer, Congressman, and Senator. The house was a center of political discussions and social events among the middle-upper-class people of Sedalia. The home combines many different architectural and aesthetic styles, especially the Classical Revival style. The house looks much the same today as it did when it was home to the Heard family thanks to the preservation work of the Sorosis Club and public donations.

The building still has the original carriage house beside it, which also has a room above where the chauffeur would have slept alongside hay to feed the horses. Stained glass windows in the house illustrate a scene in Venice, and the pieces of glass were actually ordered and shipped from Venice following the couple’s honeymoon there. The building was designed to impress, which was appropriate as Lillian was constantly throwing parties and inviting prominent members of society.

[1] National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places - John T. and Lillian Heard House, 2010. (http://dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/11000187.pdf)