The house located at 213 East Church St. has been a standing landmark in Mascoutah since 1862. The house is best known for being the former residence of Carl Montag, the founder of “The Herald.” With its unique “mansard” roof, it was the only house in Mascoutah with this particular style, popularized by large, older homes during that period.
BailCo. Properties, a local business in Mascoutah, purchased the building after it had also served as a nursing home for several years. An employee of BailCo. stated that the property was in a state of disrepair and could no longer be salvaged, leaving demolition as the only option. The house had remained unoccupied for many years, and without proper upkeep, it could not be affordably repaired.
Louis Carl Montag, a carpenter and lumberyard owner from Bavaria, built the house in 1855 after settling in Mascoutah. Carl Montag, his son, eventually inherited the property and later founded “The Herald” newspaper. After quitting school at a young age, he worked as an apprentice at the print shop of the former local newspaper, “Mascoutah Enterprise,” before working at newspapers in Chicago, Cleveland, and New York City. He purchased the “Lebanon Illinois Herald” in 1884, later moving it to Mascoutah in 1885, where it remains to this day.
Marilyn Welch, a Mascoutah resident, shared her memories of the house and what happened to it after Carl Montag passed away. She recalled that the house was eventually passed down to one of his daughters, who continued living there until her death. The property later became a nursing home before being sold to several different owners and ultimately fell into a state of disrepair.
Despite a portion of the house still standing, it will soon be fully demolished. At the time of publication, it remained undecided what will take its place. The legacy of the Montag family and their contribution to the community of Mascoutah will always be remembered, and their former residence will continue to hold a special place in the town’s history.
