Champion House, located at 218 South Charles Street in Belleville, Illinois, was completed in 1854 for Patience Champion. The house became known as the Champion residence and later passed through a long line of owners whose lives connect the property to Belleville business, civic life, music, preservation, and modern restoration.
1854 - Patience Champion and the Champion Family
Patience Champion bought the lots that included 218 South Charles Street in 1854. The Belleville Advocate reported the completion of a double two-story brick mansion in January 1855. Patience was a wealthy widow and lived in the home with her son, B. F. Champion.
Her husband, Federal Champion, had established the Champion pill factory on South High Street. Dr. Champion's Celebrated Age Medicine and Dr. Champion's Vegetable Anti-Dyspeptic, Purifying and Cathartic Pill were sold around the country. After Federal Champion died on November 3, 1847, Patience inherited the family home on Lot 30, near what is now about 120 South Church Street. Seven years later, the new brick mansion at 218 South Charles Street was complete.
1864 - Ezekiel Steele
The Belleville News-Democrat reported in its June 24, 1864 issue that G. A. Harvey sold the fine property on Charles Street, known as the Champion residence, to Ezekiel Steele for $4,500.
1864 - Sebastian Fietsam
A subsequent owner is believed to have been Sebastian Fietsam. Fietsam was president of People's Bank, publisher of the Belleville Zeitung, and county clerk.
1880s - William Kueffner
William Kueffner fought in the Civil War and mustered out as a brevet brigadier general at age 26. He later became an attorney. Julius Liese bought 218 South Charles Street from Elise Kueffner, William Kueffner's widow, in 1893.
1893 - Julius Liese
Julius Liese bought 218 South Charles Street from Kueffner's widow in 1893. By this point, his career as conductor of the Belleville Philharmonic was over, but he remained president of Liese Lumber, which he had founded in the 1870s.
In 1905, Liese retired and returned to his native Germany with the intent of coming back to Belleville. He never did. World War I complicated those plans. Other members of the Liese family lived at 218 South Charles during this period, the last being Herman C. Liese.
1916 - Herman C. Liese
Herman C. Liese was a metallurgist who worked for Mexican mines and smelters, married a Mexican national, knew Pancho Villa, and later returned to Belleville. He lived at 218 South Charles Street from about 1916 to 1919.
1925 - 1927 - M. Elizabeth Martin
In 1925, M. Elizabeth Martin bought 218 South Charles Street from the Liese family. Two years later, she sold the home to retired farmer John Valerius.
1927 - 1967 - John and Elizabeth Valerius
John Valerius, a retired farmer, acquired Champion House as his residence and also rented rooms in the home. He passed away in 1965. The Valerius period remains one of the longer chapters in the known ownership history of the house.
2005 - 2014 - David and Andrea Cox
The last residents before the current project were David and Andrea Cox. David was a charter member of the Belleville Historical Society. Andrea was a trained Austrian carpenter. They were both careful about historical accuracy in the work they completed on the first floor of the house.
2021 - Rob Campbell
Rob Campbell, a local real estate investor, purchased the home in September 2021 after seeing it appear as a new listing. To survive the large renovation project, he ultimately moved into Champion House, living in parts of the mansion while renovating other parts.