This iconic two-story house in the desirable Parkcrest neighborhood was built in the mid-1960s by Springfield legend J.D. Gillenwaters for Dick and Norma Champion, known to generations of local children as the television personality ''Aunt Norma.'' For decades, she was an influential community and political leader, including representing Greene County for several terms in the Missouri Legislature. We bought the house from Mrs. Champion in 2013, but her personality remains, perhaps best reflected in the property's magnificent enclosed garden, which for her was a labor of love and source of reflection amid an active family and public life. Anyone seeking the inspiration of nature will delight in the garden's wide variety of bushes, shrubs and flowers -- hydrangeas, peonies, azalea, lenten roses -- and bordering cedar trees that frame the fenced-in backyard. The east-facing front porch and west-facing brick patio offer ample outdoor options for reading, dining, or relaxation for adults with expanses of lawn for children and pets to play. Unique among the primarily linear ranch houses of the Parkcrest neighborhood, the house is dominated by four white columns that echo classical architecture. Inside, the spacious open-plan family room/kitchen and elegant dining room look out over the garden through wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows, bringing a constant flood of light and repose throughout both rooms. Downstairs also includes a wood-paneled office/library, bathroom, laundry area and large living room suitable for more formal living. Upstairs offers four bedrooms, including a large master suite with a full bathroom, and a separate full bath in the hallway. For people seeking a charming house that is the pride of one of Springfield's premier neighborhoods and a home that exudes family, tradition and domestic beauty, this is the place.
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