The Mansion That Once Stood Where Washington Plaza Is Today

Did You Know? The Mansion That Once Stood Where Washington Plaza Is Today

Today, Washington Plaza is a familiar part of Alton’s landscape. Cars pull in and out. Shoppers come and go. Life moves quickly, as it tends to do.

But decades ago, that same ground was home to one of Alton’s beautiful old residences: the Templin house.

The mansion stood near Washington Avenue, on property that would eventually become Washington Square Shopping Center, now known as Washington Plaza. Long before storefronts, parking lots, and daily traffic filled the space, the property was known for its graceful home, well-kept grounds, flowering shrubs, and gardens.

An old Alton Telegraph article tells the remarkable story of Roger Templin, who continued living on the property even as the shopping center was being built around him. While many people might have been upset by such a dramatic change, Templin seemed to take it in stride.

According to the article, when asked what he thought about the public attention surrounding his situation, he answered with characteristic humor and calm. He said he did not think he would have liked it and probably would not have sold the property if he had known it would attract so much notice.

By then, Templin was nearing 90 years old and living in the smaller house on the grounds. The larger mansion had already been sold to make way for the shopping center. The smaller home, once associated with the property’s caretaker, remained his residence.

And in a scene that feels almost hard to picture today, Templin’s home became something of an island surrounded by modern development. Blacktop, automobiles, trucks, and buildings rose up around him. Yet he kept tending the land. The front yard was filled with blue grass. The backyard was planted with peonies. Day after day, he worked outside, shaping, mowing, planting, and trimming.

There is something quietly powerful about that image: an elderly man caring for flowers while a shopping center grows around him. Progress was arriving, whether anyone was ready or not. But Templin held onto the beauty of the place as long as he could.

The history of the house goes back even further. The property was once associated with the Wyckoff and Lemen families, names tied to some of Alton’s older residential history. The mansion was described as one of the beautiful old homes of Alton, with grounds that had long drawn admiration from people interested in the city’s historic residences.

After Roger Templin’s death, the shopping center continued to grow into the commercial space many residents recognize today. But his story did not end there.

Templin left $1 million to Alton Memorial Hospital, a major gift that reflected a lasting commitment to the community. Today, the fountain on Washington Avenue stands in his honor, offering a public reminder of the man, the home, and the history that once occupied that ground.

So the next time you pass Washington Plaza or see the fountain nearby, it is worth pausing for a moment.

Before the shopping center, before the parking lot, before the rush of daily errands, there was a mansion, a garden, and a man who quietly kept caring for his little corner of Alton while the city changed around him.