공주 중학동 구 선교사 가옥

Thanks to a missionary who noticed a clever and profoundly religious child, Yu Gwan-sun could attend Gongju Yeongmyeong Girls' School. After graduating from the school, she transferred to Ehwa Hakdang in Seoul as a second-year student. And in 1919, Yu Gwan-sun, a leading independence activist of the March First Movement, died in prison while enduring brutal tortures. The missionary who took special care of this leader of the independence movement was Alice J. Hammond Sharp, the wife of Pastor Robert Sharp, who preached the gospel throughout Chungcheong-do Province. Better known by her Korean name, Sa Aerisi, she established the modern schools — Yeongmyeong Girls' School and Yeongmyeong Boys' School — in Gongju and operated Korea's first free milk supply service by creating an infant home and kindergarten. Gongju Jeil Church was where Pastor Sharp and his wife stayed and preached the gospel. This church started from the two thatched houses purchased by medical missionary McGill and preacher Lee Young-ju in 1903, located on the street currently called Yeongmyeonghakdang-gil, to have worship services. In 1931, those houses were reconstructed as the first methodist church in Gongju. Gongju Jeil Church, the heartland of Methodist missions in the Chungcheong region and the oldest church in Gongju, was destroyed by bombing during the Korean War. But in 1995, it was fully restored after repairing the remaining basement and walls. During its extension in 1979, the left and right windows of the entrance and the back wall of the main hall were decorated with stained glass. These beautiful pieces of stained glass are the early works of Lee Nam-Gyu, a Korean stained glass pioneer. Even after undergoing the process of reconstruction and extension, Gongju Jeil Church has preserved the Gothic form, one of the characteristics of Korea's early church buildings. In recognition of that well-preserved cultural value, it was designated as a Modern Cultural Heritage of the State-Registered Cultural Heritage and opened as Gongju Christian Museum in 2018. Gongju Christian Museum exhibits photography and artifacts that show the modern and contemporary culture and history of Gongju, mainly through the items used by Pastor Sharp and his wife. Exhibition Hall 1 is a modern pastor's office, which reconstructed the space used by actual pastors. Exhibition Halls 2 and 3 display a set of dishes used by Yu Gwan-sun and medical equipment and living supplies used by Dr. Yang Jae-Soon, the first medical doctor in Gongju. From a small chapel that led Korea's early Christian culture and the independence movement, Gongju Christian Museum has now been reborn as a Christian museum that opens up a horizon of cultural missionary work by telling the story of its history.

In the past, homestay was prevalent in Korea, nearby schools in big cities. The homestay houses were places where students from other provinces came to the city to attend schools and have lodging. For young students who left their parents and hometown, the small homestay room was a place to make their dream come true, and the homestay host who prepared lunch boxes every day was like their second mother. From a long time ago, Gongju was well-known as a city of education. Including Kongju National University and the Gongju National University of Education, there were about 10 high schools and universities in the city center, such as Kongju National University High School, Kongju High School, Gongju Girls' High School, Kongju Kumsung Girls' High School, and Yeongmyeong High School. Accordingly, there were many homestay houses across Banjuk-dong and Jung-dong, adjacent to Jemincheon Stream in Gongju. It is hard to find so many of those homestay houses now, but Gongju has created Gongju Hasukmaeul, or Gongju Homestay Village, as part of the urban regeneration project. Today, the guest houses made by reconstructing the old Hanildang pharmacy building and empty spaces are constantly visited by tourists who want to reminisce about their old school days. Once you get to the entrance of village, a small sculpture of a high school girl with bobbed hair in a school uniform will catch your eyes first. Inside the village, you will see the accommodation buildings featuring low roofs clustered around the yard. In the yard, you can take memorable photos and videos with statues of a boy and a girl in school uniforms. The album covers of Korean singers from the 1980s, such as Yang Hee-eun, Park Eun-hee, and Sanulrim, are hung on the wall to bring back the memories of those who lived in this time. The wind-up grandfather clock and yellow tin lunch box prepared by the homestay mother also bring nostalgic memories. This place will bring memories and nostalgia to those who experienced homestay in the old days and tell interesting stories of old homestay culture to the young generation. We recommend you visit Gongju Hasukmaeul and experience the unique charm of Gongju.