When George Pasfield first settled in Springfield, Ill., the year was 1831. He and his wife, Mary Forden, began acquiring land on what was then Springfield’s west side.

Pasfield built his home here and established a business on Springfield’s square. There is even a Lincoln connection, since George Pasfield assisted Abraham Lincoln in having the state capitol relocated from Vandalia to Springfield. Tony Leone, the owner/operator, has written articles on this Pasfield contribution and is a local historian on the Pasfields and Springfield’s origins.
Pasfield’s son, Dr. George Pasfield was equally as important in Springfield’s history. A surgeon during the Civil War, he later helped the Bunn Brothers and others establish the Springfield Iron Co. and Illinois Watch Co.

Dr. Pasfield’s son, George Pasfield Jr., followed the family tradition of being a community-minded individual. He helped stop the idea of moving the capitol away from Springfield and became prominent in the city’s banking industry, as well as managing his family’s estates.

Later, as head of the Springfield Park District, he made improvements that were rewarded by naming Pasfield Park and Golf Course in his honor.

The Pasfield House was built originally on a 40-acre estate that would have served as a gentleman’s farm. When Tony purchased the house, it had been converted into a nine-room apartment house and Springfield residents had long forgotten about the contributions the Pasfields had made to the community.
“I originally bought it for offices and to rent the upstairs,” Tony said. “But I fell in love with it.”

That and its history prompted Tony to renovate the home. After hiring a young man, a graduate student, to help him unearth the history, he said he received an amazing education not only on the house, but on Springfield itself.

“The most amazing outcome of this restoration is the spotlight now placed on an almost forgotten but important aspect of Springfield’s past,” he said. “Most Springfield families are unaware of the contributions of the Pasfields.”

 Once a showplace, the Pasfield estate’s architectural style was influenced by the Columbian World’s Fair. It took Tony six years of hard work to renovate the home and convert it to a bed-and-breakfast and a place where he offers cooking courses and intimate dinners at the Chef’s Table.

Dining at the Chef’s table can be a heady experience. As formal as the upstairs is, the downstairs is fun and casual and has a bistro type of atmosphere. “We can have 22 people facing the chef, but classes usually are between 12 and 16 people,” Tony shared.

This historic inn is now a place of fine dining and is often selected for weddings and receptions – and this year, will feature a Valentine’s Day dinner. Recently the house was in Mark McDonald’s Illinois Stories and PBS put together a film featuring historic Springfield homes, of which the Pasfield House is one. Tony plans to have luncheons and offer this film as part of the historic entertainment.

The Valentine’s Day offering is a five-course meal that Chef Quinton Hampton will prepare. He will serve a classic southern French chicken dish he has perfected, Chicken with Five Herb Cream Sauce.

“The menu isn’t set in stone, but we will have chicken with cream sauce and fresh herbs, Antipasto and roasted vegetables,” he explained.

Quinton isn’t new to the Springfield area. He was the executive chef at Augie’s Front Burner and has been in the kitchen in some capacity since he was a teenager. “I started with the family 20 years ago when I was 13,” he said.

His father has a farm in Tennessee where he raises vegetables and livestock, and Quinton was able to obtain knowledge of fresh produce working on the farm. In the restaurant industry, he has worked in Memphis, Champaign and other cities, learning the trade. Now he is putting on his chef’s hat to prepare a delectable Valentine’s Day feast right at the Chef’s Table at the Pasfield House.

“It is more stimulating than your usual dining. It is an education,” he said.

For those traveling a distance, they can round out the evening by renting a room and staying at the inn for the night. With the agricultural connection, farmers and others in the ag industry will enjoy learning about the Pasfield roots and staying in this beautiful 1896 home that has won awards for it lovely restoration.

The Pasfield House is located at 525 South Pasfield in Springfield. Call 217-525-3663 for details.

Readers with questions or comments for Cindy Ladage may write to her in care of this publication.