Houses in Sycamore Historic District
Encyclopedia
The houses in the Sycamore Historic District, in Sycamore, Illinois
, United States
, cross a variety of architectural styles and span from the 1830s to the early 20th century. There are 187 contributing properties within the historic district
, 75% of the districts buildings. Many of the homes are associated with early Sycamore residents, usually prominent business leaders or politicians. Houses within the district are known by, either their street address or by a name associated with a prominent owner or builder. For most of the houses, the latter is true.
A full 75% of the districts buildings are listed as contributing properties. Many of these include homes within the boundaries of the district that are architecturally or historically significant but are commonly known only by their street address.
The two story Italianate home at 314 S. Main Street is another example of a contributing property in the Sycamore Historic District that is known only by its address. The house was constructed in 1878. At 512 S. Main St. is a brightly colored example of Queen Anne architecture. The only contributing property along the east-west High Street is the home at 418 W. High.
style of domestic architecture. Also in the 400 block of Somonauk, at 437 is another nameless contributing property.
The Byers-Faissler House is located in the 500 block of Sycamore's Somonauk Street, the house is included as a contributing structure to the historic character of the Sycamore Historic District
. The house was built in 1867 for Sycamore
politician William Byers. The home contains elements of both Gothic Revival and Italianate architecture. It is thought that the main gable
once contained the same decorative elements as the smaller gable.
Byers eventually served two terms in the Illinois state legislature
, though before he held that office he was active in DeKalb County politics. Byers' youngest daughter, Jane, married native German Joh Faissler. Faissler became a successful lawyer in Sycamore.
The Captain R.A. Smith House, also known as the F.W. Partridge House is another contributing property to the Sycamore Historic District
.The house was built sometime before 1871 by Captain R.A. Smith. The Smith House is designed in a Gothic Revival motif by R.A. Smith.
Besides the military Smith was elected treasurer
in DeKalb County
, little is known about him other than the fact that he designed his home in the 200 block of Sycamore's Somonauk Street. F.W. Partridge was an attorney who began his legal career in the DeKalb County city of Sandwich, Illinois
. Later, when he moved to Sycamore
, he achieved some notoriety in that profession. During the Civil War Partridge was a brevet
ed Brigadier General. Toward the end of the war he served as DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder; from 1864-1867. President Ulysses S. Grant
appointed him as ambassador to Siam.
The Chappell-Whittemore House also known as the H.C. Whittemore House, is a historic home in the 200 block of South Main Street in Sycamore. The house was completed sometime 1867 and before 1873. The home is noted for its architectural and historical significance.
Henry C. Whittemore came to Sycamore at a young age, brought by his parents in 1848. He served during the Civil War and after the conflict ended remained a government employee during Reconstruction. As a government employee Whittemore was tasked with helping to reorganize the postal service
in the South. He returned to Sycamore in 1867. Upon arriving back in Sycamore
he went into the tanning business but after a few years, in 1873, shifted focus to the hardware business. He stayed in hardware for most of life, taking on several different business partners in the process.
Whittemore was politically active, after he left hired government work, both locally and at the state level. In DeKalb County he served as a Sycamore alderman as well as a member of the County Board of Supervisors
. At the turn of the 20th century he headed up the building committee which oversaw the construction of the third, and current, DeKalb County Courthouse
, another notable historic district structure. At the state level Whittemore served in the 34th Illinois General Assembly
and as a trustee at the State Home for Juvenile Offenders in Geneva, Illinois
.
The Charles A Bishop House, also known as the William Phelps House, is in 500 block of South Main Street in Sycamore.The house started its existence in 1863 attached to the J.H. Rogers/Bettis House, which currently stands next door to the Bishop House. In 1887 the Bishop House was moved, by mule, from its original location. That property became the site for the c. 1890 J.H. Rogers House. When the Bishop House was moved the Rogers-Bettis House was split off from it and planted next door. The property the house stands on today was part of the original 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) purchased by Ellzey P. Young from the United States government by an act of Congress.
Bishop was a highly respected citizen of Sycamore. After coming to Sycamore
, from New Brunswick
, in 1878 Bishop was admitted to the Bar
in 1880. He practiced law with Harvey A. Jones and eventually held the posts of circuit and county judge.
The Charles Kellum House was constructed in 1858 by Charles Kellum. Kellum came to Sycamore in 1855 as an attorney and eventually served in several public offices, including state's attorney
and circuit court
judge. The house was once a larger structure than it is today. The building at 123 Lincoln Street, directly behind the Kellum House, was separated from the main house, in the 600 block of Somonauk Street, in the 1920s. The house's owner at the time had a daughter whom was getting married and he presented the separated wing as a wedding present for the couple. The roof is multiple gable
d and features the distinctive Jerkin
style roof. Each of the home's gables contain the element, which is a mesh of the gable and hipped roof
.
. This large, two-story Italianate home is considered a contributing property by the National Register of Historic Places
. The house was built in 1867 by wealthy Sycamore famer David DeGraff.
The Dr. Clark House is another contributing structure to the historic integrity of the Sycamore Historic District
. The house stands at the corner of Lincoln and Main Streets in Sycamore. The home was constructed in 1936 for Dr. Clark, a Sycamore
radiologist who worked at Sycamore Hospital. Clark lived in the home until 1970. The new owners added an addition to the house in 1996 The house was completed in Shingle style and its exterior construction is of brick
. Dr. Clark was a radiologist at Sycamore Hospital.
Bryan was the "pioneer" physician for the settlement of Sycamore, Illinois
, beginning his medical practice in the city that would become the county seat of DeKalb County in 1846. During the Civil War Bryan was charged with running the General Hospital of the Army of the Mississippi
. Later he requested and was granted the post of Medical Director and Purveyor of the Department of New Mexico
. Bryan returned to Sycamore in 1866.
and attended Sycamore schools before going to medical school in Philadelphia. He was born October 15, 1856 in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, the youngest of six children of Martha L. and James M. Smith. On arriving in Sycamore in 1857, the family first settled in a simple farm house on what is now the 800 block of Somonauk Street, before constructing the present house. In 1900 he was elected mayor, a time during which he worked to bring more industry to the city. Dr. Smith died in Sycamore on August 5, 1939. His wife, Lillian Babcock Smith, and daughter Rose Smith Mussell, continued to live in the house until their deaths in 1947 and 1950, respectively. In 1950 the house was sold out of the family.
The Smith House is an Italianate home and one of several such homes along Somonauk Street to have been influenced by the Italianate design of the George P. Wild House. The Wild House is another of Somonauk Street's contributing structures. The Smith House is considered architecturally significant in a historic district where 75% of all structures are considered contributing properties.
The 'Elmore Cooper House is listed as a contributing structure to the district's overall historical character. The Elmore Cooper House was built in 1924 by the Sycamore gas station entrepreneur Elmore Cooper. The house is of a Colonial Revival style, with English roots. It features simple lines and proportions, which make it architecturally distinctive. It features an original roof. Elmore Cooper opened Sycamore's first gas station in 1898, it was located across the street from the DeKalb County Courthouse
on Illinois Route 64
.
city of Sycamore
. It stands next door to the Chauncey Ellwood House
and is a contributing property in the Sycamore Historic District
. The home, in the 800 block of Somonauk Street, was originally Chauncey Ellwood's carriage house. The 1837 building was converted into an artist's studio and, eventually, a residence, by Esther Mae Nesbitt.
Nesbitt was born in 1913. She rose to the rank of Master Sergeant
while serving in the U.S. Army as part of the Women's Army Corps
. During World War II Nesbitt was awarded the French Croix de Guerre for her command of a top secret war room.
city of Sycamore. The house, in the 400 block of Sycamore's Somonauk Street, lies in the heart of the Sycamore Historic District
. It was constructed for Sycamore
attorney, Floyd Brower.
The General Daniel Dustin House is a 19th century residential home in the 400 block of California Street and is a contributing structure to the historical integrity of the Sycamore Historic District
. Daniel Dustin served in the United States Army
and accompanied General William Tecumseh Sherman
on his "grand march to the sea
" during the American Civil War. In Sycamore
Dustin settled in the California Street home and made a living as a merchant, working with James E. Ellwood in the sale of medicines. He eventually became DeKalb County's county clerk.
home was constructed in 1847 for early Sycamore
settler and, later, elected official Ellzey P. Young.Built in 1847 the house is one of the oldest in the city of Sycamore. It is believed that Eleanor Roosevelt
once stayed in the home during a visit to nearby Northern Illinois University
, in DeKalb
. Young had the home built and later George S. Robinson, a prominent local attorney and county judge, lived in the residence.>
Young was one of Sycamore's earliest settlers, coming to the town in 1839. He went into the mercantile business with James Waterman, a prominent local businessman for whom the historic Waterman Block is named.
The George P. Wild House is a large two-story Italianate home constructed in 1869 by George P. Wild, a successful Sycamore
dry goods
dealer, when he commissioned a Chicago architect, either John W. Ackerman or George Ackerman, to build the two-story house for $4,000. The final cost of construction was $4,500 and the bill outraged Wild.
The building was designed in the Italianate architectural style. It features a veranda, though not original, which winds from the front door, around the building, to the secondary entrance on the home's south side. The door has the name G.P. Wild etch
ed into its glass.
in Sycamore, Illinois. The 1890 Queen Anne style home stands on South Main Street and was home to Henry Garbutt, a prominent Sycamore banker.
The Hosea W. Willard House, in the 400 block of Somonauk Street is one of numerous 19th century houses in the historic district. The house was built by Sycamore mason
Hosea Willard in 1867. The Willard House is one of the Sycamore Historic District houses to feature the distinctive Jerkin
roof, basically a combination of the simple gable
roof and the hipped roof
. Both the main gables and the smaller gables over the second floor windows contain this roof element. On the home's south facade a prominent oriel
is set into the first floor.
Willard was a prominent Sycamore mason and builder. He was responsible for the construction of several of the historic district's other notable buildings, including the St. Peter's Episcopal Church as well as the Old Congregational Church
(now Sycamore Baptist Church). Willard arrived in Sycamore in 1843, a time when the city had just 18 homes.
merchant and associate of George R. Wild. Wild's House is another of the Sycamore Historic District's notable homes. Later in his dry goods merchant career he worked without Wild. His circa 1890 home is a blend of Queen Anne style and Romanesque Revival architecture. The distinctly Queen Anne turret
on the home's northwest side is offset by the distinctly Romanesque arch
over the front doorway.
The J.H. Rogers/Bettis House, also known as the John Gathercoal House, is located in the 500 block of Main Street. The house began its existence in 1863 attached to the Charles A. Bishop House, which currently stands next door to the Bettis House. In 1887 the Bishop house was moved, by mule, from its original location. That property became the site for the c. 1890 J.H. Rogers House. When the Bishop House was moved the Rogers-Bettis House was split off from it and planted next door. The property the house stands on today was part of the original 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) purchased by Ellzey P. Young from the United States government by an act of Congress. In 1902 a music professor, Frederick B. Bettis purchased the house.
The Wally Thurow House was constructed in 1917 is more historically significant than it is architecturally significant. The events surrounding the founding of the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival occurred at the house in 1956. The house features a mostly hipped roof
with a front dormer
. As an American Foursquare
building, it closely resembles the style of many mail-order houses of its day. The front facade is dominated by a brick porch supported by two large pillars.
Wally "Mr. Pumpkin" Thurow is considered the founder of the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival. The festival essentially started as Thurow's personal Halloween celebration; he filled his lawn with decorated and pumpkins. Thurow pushed the Lions Club to expand on his idea and every year since 1962, during the Pumpkin Fest, the lawn of the DeKalb County Courthouse
is filled with carved, decorated and otherwise enhanced pumpkins, many of them created by children and families.
The William McAllister House is located in the 200 block of South Main Street in Sycamore. It was constructed in 1906 and remains much the same today as it was 1912. McAllister was a successful dry goods
dealer whose longtime business in the Daniel Pierce Building evolved into the later Henderson's Department Store in downtown Sycamore
.
The William Robinson House was constructed in 1874. It stands in the 400 block of South Main Street in Sycamore is designed in a mostly Gothic Revival style. Robinson was an entrepreneur, dealing in threshing
equipment and farm implements. On New Year's Day, 1897 he turned over his successful business to his son George E. Robinson.
through Isaac Ellwood. The Abram Ellwood House is in the 400 block of Somonauk Street. Further down the street, in the 700 block of Somonauk, is the James Ellwood House. The James Ellwood House was constructed in 1859. It was moved from its original location, about a block away, in 1989. Since that time the home has been fully restored. The home is designed in Shingle style, a subtype of Queen Anne Style architecture. James Ellwood worked in the pharmacy and grocery business in Sycamore for 23 years. Before he became Sycamore Postmaster
from 1898-1908 he also worked for 17 years as treasurer of Reuben Ellwood Manufacturing.The 1859 Chauncey Ellwood House
, a prominent Italianate home, is in Somonauk Street's 800 block.
is an 1887 Queen Anne style home which stands along Main Street, north of the DeKalb County Courthouse
. Its distinctive red brick facade has aged fairly well and the porch is nearly exactly as it was in the late 19th century. Boynton was a dry goods dealer. On the adjacent property is the Frederick B. Townsend House
. The c. 1890 Queen Anne style home was gifted by Charles O. Boynton, father of Mary Townsend, to her and Frederick Townsend for their wedding. Townsend helped found the DeKalb County Farm Bureau and was a native of DeKalb County.
At least two other contributing houses are found south of the Boynton and Townsend Houses. The D. B. James House
is a circa 1860 home located on Exchange Street directly behind the DeKalb County Courthouse, it is one of the oldest homes on that block. James was a Sycamore attorney, coincidentally, the house now holds a law office. Along Somonauk Street is another of the district's elegant examples of Queen Anne architecture, the David Syme House
. The Somonauk Street house was designed by George Garnsey of Chicago and constructed around 1880.
Other registered places in DeKalb county
Related articles
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, cross a variety of architectural styles and span from the 1830s to the early 20th century. There are 187 contributing properties within the historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
, 75% of the districts buildings. Many of the homes are associated with early Sycamore residents, usually prominent business leaders or politicians. Houses within the district are known by, either their street address or by a name associated with a prominent owner or builder. For most of the houses, the latter is true.
Numbered Houses
Ottawa and Maple Streets
Two of the districts contributing homes are found along Ottawa Street. Both homes are nameless and stand next door to each other, one is at 124 and the other is at 134. Along Maple Street the Italianate home at 202 is also listed as a contributing property, it is known only by its address.Main and High Streets
Somonauk Street
The house at 312 Somonauk Street is an example of Italianate architecture, it is a nameless contributor to the district's historic nature. The Italianate home further down the same block, at 328, has undergone some exterior changes. Its original wood siding was replaced with vinyl. On the other side of the street, the house at 413 Somonauk is an example of the American FoursquareAmerican Foursquare
The American Foursquare or American Four Square is an American house style popular from the mid-1890s to the late 1930s. A reaction to the ornate and mass produced elements of the Victorian and other Revival styles popular throughout the last half of the 19th century, the American Foursquare was...
style of domestic architecture. Also in the 400 block of Somonauk, at 437 is another nameless contributing property.
Byers-Faissler House
Sycamore Historic District
The Sycamore Historic District is a meandering area encompassing of the land in and around the downtown of the DeKalb County, Illinois, county seat, Sycamore. The area includes historic buildings and a number of historical and Victorian homes...
. The house was built in 1867 for Sycamore
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
politician William Byers. The home contains elements of both Gothic Revival and Italianate architecture. It is thought that the main gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
once contained the same decorative elements as the smaller gable.
Byers eventually served two terms in the Illinois state legislature
Illinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois and comprises the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Illinois has 59 legislative districts, with two...
, though before he held that office he was active in DeKalb County politics. Byers' youngest daughter, Jane, married native German Joh Faissler. Faissler became a successful lawyer in Sycamore.
Captain R.A. Smith House
Sycamore Historic District
The Sycamore Historic District is a meandering area encompassing of the land in and around the downtown of the DeKalb County, Illinois, county seat, Sycamore. The area includes historic buildings and a number of historical and Victorian homes...
.The house was built sometime before 1871 by Captain R.A. Smith. The Smith House is designed in a Gothic Revival motif by R.A. Smith.
Besides the military Smith was elected treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
in DeKalb County
DeKalb County, Illinois
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 105,160, which is an increase of 18.2% from 88,969 in 2000. Its county seat is Sycamore. DeKalb County is part of the Chicago metropolitan statistical area.-History:DeKalb County...
, little is known about him other than the fact that he designed his home in the 200 block of Sycamore's Somonauk Street. F.W. Partridge was an attorney who began his legal career in the DeKalb County city of Sandwich, Illinois
Sandwich, Illinois
Sandwich is a city in DeKalb, Kendall, and LaSalle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 6,509 at the 2000 census. The 2008 population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau for the city is 7,337.-History:...
. Later, when he moved to Sycamore
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
, he achieved some notoriety in that profession. During the Civil War Partridge was a brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
ed Brigadier General. Toward the end of the war he served as DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder; from 1864-1867. President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
appointed him as ambassador to Siam.
Chappell-Whittemore House
Henry C. Whittemore came to Sycamore at a young age, brought by his parents in 1848. He served during the Civil War and after the conflict ended remained a government employee during Reconstruction. As a government employee Whittemore was tasked with helping to reorganize the postal service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
in the South. He returned to Sycamore in 1867. Upon arriving back in Sycamore
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
he went into the tanning business but after a few years, in 1873, shifted focus to the hardware business. He stayed in hardware for most of life, taking on several different business partners in the process.
Whittemore was politically active, after he left hired government work, both locally and at the state level. In DeKalb County he served as a Sycamore alderman as well as a member of the County Board of Supervisors
County board of supervisors
The Board of Supervisors is the body that supervises the operation of county government in all counties in Arizona, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Sussex County, New Jersey as well as a handful of counties in New York...
. At the turn of the 20th century he headed up the building committee which oversaw the construction of the third, and current, DeKalb County Courthouse
DeKalb County Courthouse (Illinois)
The DeKalb County Courthouse is located in the county seat of DeKalb County, Illinois, U.S.A., the city of Sycamore. The Classical Revival structure sits on a square facing Illinois Route 64 as it passes through the city. The current courthouse was constructed in 1905 amid controversy over where...
, another notable historic district structure. At the state level Whittemore served in the 34th Illinois General Assembly
Illinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois and comprises the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Illinois has 59 legislative districts, with two...
and as a trustee at the State Home for Juvenile Offenders in Geneva, Illinois
Geneva, Illinois
Geneva is the county seat of Kane County, Illinois. It is located on the western fringe of the Chicago suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 26,652. Geneva is part of a tri-city area, along with St. Charles and Batavia...
.
Charles A. Bishop House
Bishop was a highly respected citizen of Sycamore. After coming to Sycamore
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
, from New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, in 1878 Bishop was admitted to the Bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in 1880. He practiced law with Harvey A. Jones and eventually held the posts of circuit and county judge.
Charles Kellum House
State's Attorney
In the United States, the State's Attorney is, most commonly, an elected official who represents the State in criminal prosecutions and is often the chief law enforcement officer of their respective county, circuit...
and circuit court
Circuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
judge. The house was once a larger structure than it is today. The building at 123 Lincoln Street, directly behind the Kellum House, was separated from the main house, in the 600 block of Somonauk Street, in the 1920s. The house's owner at the time had a daughter whom was getting married and he presented the separated wing as a wedding present for the couple. The roof is multiple gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d and features the distinctive Jerkin
Jerkin
The word jerkin can mean:* Jerkin * Falconer's term for a male gyrfalcon* In architecture, a half-hip roof* Jerkin' - a hip hop dance movement that originated in Los Angeles....
style roof. Each of the home's gables contain the element, which is a mesh of the gable and hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
.
David DeGraff House
The David DeGraff House, in the 900 block of Somonauk Street is just within the boundaries of the Sycamore Historic DistrictSycamore Historic District
The Sycamore Historic District is a meandering area encompassing of the land in and around the downtown of the DeKalb County, Illinois, county seat, Sycamore. The area includes historic buildings and a number of historical and Victorian homes...
. This large, two-story Italianate home is considered a contributing property by the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The house was built in 1867 by wealthy Sycamore famer David DeGraff.
Dr. Clark House
Sycamore Historic District
The Sycamore Historic District is a meandering area encompassing of the land in and around the downtown of the DeKalb County, Illinois, county seat, Sycamore. The area includes historic buildings and a number of historical and Victorian homes...
. The house stands at the corner of Lincoln and Main Streets in Sycamore. The home was constructed in 1936 for Dr. Clark, a Sycamore
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
radiologist who worked at Sycamore Hospital. Clark lived in the home until 1970. The new owners added an addition to the house in 1996 The house was completed in Shingle style and its exterior construction is of brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
. Dr. Clark was a radiologist at Sycamore Hospital.
Dr. Orlando M. Bryan House
The Dr. Orlando M. Bryan House, stands in the 300 block of Somonauk Street in Sycamore. This Italianate structure was erected around 1866, since that date it has been altered from its original appearance.Bryan was the "pioneer" physician for the settlement of Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
, beginning his medical practice in the city that would become the county seat of DeKalb County in 1846. During the Civil War Bryan was charged with running the General Hospital of the Army of the Mississippi
Army of the Mississippi
Army of the Mississippi was the name given to two Union armies that operated around the Mississippi River, both with short existences, during the American Civil War.-1862:...
. Later he requested and was granted the post of Medical Director and Purveyor of the Department of New Mexico
Department of New Mexico
The Department of New Mexico was a department of the United States Army during the mid-19th century. At first a part of the Department of the West, it was created as an independent department following the breakup of that Division into various departments during the Civil War...
. Bryan returned to Sycamore in 1866.
Dr. Olin H. Smith House
The Dr. Olin H. Smith House is located in the 800 block of Somonauk Street in Sycamore. The house was constructed between 1870 and 1877 for Dr. Olin H. Smith. Smith, who was the town's first dentist, was raised in SycamoreSycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
and attended Sycamore schools before going to medical school in Philadelphia. He was born October 15, 1856 in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, the youngest of six children of Martha L. and James M. Smith. On arriving in Sycamore in 1857, the family first settled in a simple farm house on what is now the 800 block of Somonauk Street, before constructing the present house. In 1900 he was elected mayor, a time during which he worked to bring more industry to the city. Dr. Smith died in Sycamore on August 5, 1939. His wife, Lillian Babcock Smith, and daughter Rose Smith Mussell, continued to live in the house until their deaths in 1947 and 1950, respectively. In 1950 the house was sold out of the family.
The Smith House is an Italianate home and one of several such homes along Somonauk Street to have been influenced by the Italianate design of the George P. Wild House. The Wild House is another of Somonauk Street's contributing structures. The Smith House is considered architecturally significant in a historic district where 75% of all structures are considered contributing properties.
Elmore Cooper House
DeKalb County Courthouse (Illinois)
The DeKalb County Courthouse is located in the county seat of DeKalb County, Illinois, U.S.A., the city of Sycamore. The Classical Revival structure sits on a square facing Illinois Route 64 as it passes through the city. The current courthouse was constructed in 1905 amid controversy over where...
on Illinois Route 64
Illinois Route 64
Illinois Route 64 is an east–west road in north-central Illinois. Its western terminus is at the Iowa state line, connecting with U.S. Route 52 and Iowa Highway 64 via the Savanna-Sabula Bridge at the Mississippi River west of Savanna...
.
Esther Mae Nesbitt House
Once a carriage house that belonged to Chauncey Ellwood, the Esther Mae Nesbitt House is how a home in the DeKalb County, IllinoisDeKalb County, Illinois
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 105,160, which is an increase of 18.2% from 88,969 in 2000. Its county seat is Sycamore. DeKalb County is part of the Chicago metropolitan statistical area.-History:DeKalb County...
city of Sycamore
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
. It stands next door to the Chauncey Ellwood House
Chauncey Ellwood House
The Chauncey Ellwood House is a 19th century Italianate residence in the DeKalb County, Illinois city of Sycamore. It is a contributing property to the Sycamore Historic District; added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The house is in the 800 block of Somonauk Street...
and is a contributing property in the Sycamore Historic District
Sycamore Historic District
The Sycamore Historic District is a meandering area encompassing of the land in and around the downtown of the DeKalb County, Illinois, county seat, Sycamore. The area includes historic buildings and a number of historical and Victorian homes...
. The home, in the 800 block of Somonauk Street, was originally Chauncey Ellwood's carriage house. The 1837 building was converted into an artist's studio and, eventually, a residence, by Esther Mae Nesbitt.
Nesbitt was born in 1913. She rose to the rank of Master Sergeant
Master Sergeant
A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-Israel Defense Forces:Rav samal rishoninsignia IDF...
while serving in the U.S. Army as part of the Women's Army Corps
Women's Army Corps
The Women's Army Corps was the women's branch of the US Army. It was created as an auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps on 15 May 1942 by Public Law 554, and converted to full status as the WAC in 1943...
. During World War II Nesbitt was awarded the French Croix de Guerre for her command of a top secret war room.
Floyd E. Brower House
The Floyd E. Brower House is another of the historic homes in the DeKalb County, IllinoisDeKalb County, Illinois
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 105,160, which is an increase of 18.2% from 88,969 in 2000. Its county seat is Sycamore. DeKalb County is part of the Chicago metropolitan statistical area.-History:DeKalb County...
city of Sycamore. The house, in the 400 block of Sycamore's Somonauk Street, lies in the heart of the Sycamore Historic District
Sycamore Historic District
The Sycamore Historic District is a meandering area encompassing of the land in and around the downtown of the DeKalb County, Illinois, county seat, Sycamore. The area includes historic buildings and a number of historical and Victorian homes...
. It was constructed for Sycamore
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
attorney, Floyd Brower.
General Daniel Dustin House
Sycamore Historic District
The Sycamore Historic District is a meandering area encompassing of the land in and around the downtown of the DeKalb County, Illinois, county seat, Sycamore. The area includes historic buildings and a number of historical and Victorian homes...
. Daniel Dustin served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and accompanied General William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
on his "grand march to the sea
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign conducted around Georgia from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army in the American Civil War...
" during the American Civil War. In Sycamore
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
Dustin settled in the California Street home and made a living as a merchant, working with James E. Ellwood in the sale of medicines. He eventually became DeKalb County's county clerk.
George S. Robinson-Ellzey P. Young House
This simple I-houseI-house
The I-house is a vernacular house type, popular in the United States from the colonial period onward. The I-house was so named in the 1930s by Fred Kniffen, a specialist in folk architecture who identified and analyzed the type in his 1936 study of Louisiana house types...
home was constructed in 1847 for early Sycamore
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
settler and, later, elected official Ellzey P. Young.Built in 1847 the house is one of the oldest in the city of Sycamore. It is believed that Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
once stayed in the home during a visit to nearby Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
, in DeKalb
DeKalb, Illinois
DeKalb is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 43,862 at the 2010 census, up from 39,018 at the 2000 census. The city is named after decorated German war hero Johann De Kalb, who died during the American Revolutionary War....
. Young had the home built and later George S. Robinson, a prominent local attorney and county judge, lived in the residence.>
Young was one of Sycamore's earliest settlers, coming to the town in 1839. He went into the mercantile business with James Waterman, a prominent local businessman for whom the historic Waterman Block is named.
George P. Wild House
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
dry goods
Dry goods
Dry goods are products such as textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and sundries. In U.S. retailing, a dry goods store carries consumer goods that are distinct from those carried by hardware stores and grocery stores, though "dry goods" as a term for textiles has been dated back to 1742 in England or...
dealer, when he commissioned a Chicago architect, either John W. Ackerman or George Ackerman, to build the two-story house for $4,000. The final cost of construction was $4,500 and the bill outraged Wild.
The building was designed in the Italianate architectural style. It features a veranda, though not original, which winds from the front door, around the building, to the secondary entrance on the home's south side. The door has the name G.P. Wild etch
Etch
Etch may refer to:*Etch : an open source, cross-platform, multi-language framework for building network services released by Cisco Systems into the Apache Software Foundation*Etch, a character from the film Toy Story, based on the Etch A Sketch...
ed into its glass.
Henry Garbutt House
The Henry Garbutt House is another one of 187 contributing structures to the Sycamore Historic DistrictSycamore Historic District
The Sycamore Historic District is a meandering area encompassing of the land in and around the downtown of the DeKalb County, Illinois, county seat, Sycamore. The area includes historic buildings and a number of historical and Victorian homes...
in Sycamore, Illinois. The 1890 Queen Anne style home stands on South Main Street and was home to Henry Garbutt, a prominent Sycamore banker.
Hosea Willard House
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
Hosea Willard in 1867. The Willard House is one of the Sycamore Historic District houses to feature the distinctive Jerkin
Jerkin
The word jerkin can mean:* Jerkin * Falconer's term for a male gyrfalcon* In architecture, a half-hip roof* Jerkin' - a hip hop dance movement that originated in Los Angeles....
roof, basically a combination of the simple gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
roof and the hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
. Both the main gables and the smaller gables over the second floor windows contain this roof element. On the home's south facade a prominent oriel
Oriel
An oriel window is a type of bay window which projects from a wall.Oriel may also refer to:Places in the United Kingdom:*Oriel College, Oxford*Oriel Street, Oxford*Oriel Square, Oxford*Oriel Chambers, LiverpoolPlaces in Ireland:...
is set into the first floor.
Willard was a prominent Sycamore mason and builder. He was responsible for the construction of several of the historic district's other notable buildings, including the St. Peter's Episcopal Church as well as the Old Congregational Church
Old Congregational Church
Old Congregational Church can refer to:* Old Congregational Church * Old Congregational Church...
(now Sycamore Baptist Church). Willard arrived in Sycamore in 1843, a time when the city had just 18 homes.
J.H. Rogers House
J.H. Rogers settled in Sycamore in 1858. He was a highly respected dry goodsDry goods
Dry goods are products such as textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and sundries. In U.S. retailing, a dry goods store carries consumer goods that are distinct from those carried by hardware stores and grocery stores, though "dry goods" as a term for textiles has been dated back to 1742 in England or...
merchant and associate of George R. Wild. Wild's House is another of the Sycamore Historic District's notable homes. Later in his dry goods merchant career he worked without Wild. His circa 1890 home is a blend of Queen Anne style and Romanesque Revival architecture. The distinctly Queen Anne turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
on the home's northwest side is offset by the distinctly Romanesque arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
over the front doorway.
J.H. Rogers/Bettis House
Stephens House
The Stephens House, in the 800 block of Somonauk Street, is an Italianate structure and considered to be architecturally significant in a historic district where 75% of the buildings are contributing properties to the historic integrity of the district.Wally Thurow House
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
with a front dormer
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
. As an American Foursquare
American Foursquare
The American Foursquare or American Four Square is an American house style popular from the mid-1890s to the late 1930s. A reaction to the ornate and mass produced elements of the Victorian and other Revival styles popular throughout the last half of the 19th century, the American Foursquare was...
building, it closely resembles the style of many mail-order houses of its day. The front facade is dominated by a brick porch supported by two large pillars.
Wally "Mr. Pumpkin" Thurow is considered the founder of the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival. The festival essentially started as Thurow's personal Halloween celebration; he filled his lawn with decorated and pumpkins. Thurow pushed the Lions Club to expand on his idea and every year since 1962, during the Pumpkin Fest, the lawn of the DeKalb County Courthouse
DeKalb County Courthouse (Illinois)
The DeKalb County Courthouse is located in the county seat of DeKalb County, Illinois, U.S.A., the city of Sycamore. The Classical Revival structure sits on a square facing Illinois Route 64 as it passes through the city. The current courthouse was constructed in 1905 amid controversy over where...
is filled with carved, decorated and otherwise enhanced pumpkins, many of them created by children and families.
William McAllister House
Dry goods
Dry goods are products such as textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and sundries. In U.S. retailing, a dry goods store carries consumer goods that are distinct from those carried by hardware stores and grocery stores, though "dry goods" as a term for textiles has been dated back to 1742 in England or...
dealer whose longtime business in the Daniel Pierce Building evolved into the later Henderson's Department Store in downtown Sycamore
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
.
William Robinson House
Threshing
Threshing is the process of loosening the edible part of cereal grain from the scaly, inedible chaff that surrounds it. It is the step in grain preparation after harvesting and before winnowing, which separates the loosened chaff from the grain...
equipment and farm implements. On New Year's Day, 1897 he turned over his successful business to his son George E. Robinson.
Ellwood family
There are three houses within the district that were owned by various members of the Ellwood family, famed for their affiliation with barbed wireBarbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
through Isaac Ellwood. The Abram Ellwood House is in the 400 block of Somonauk Street. Further down the street, in the 700 block of Somonauk, is the James Ellwood House. The James Ellwood House was constructed in 1859. It was moved from its original location, about a block away, in 1989. Since that time the home has been fully restored. The home is designed in Shingle style, a subtype of Queen Anne Style architecture. James Ellwood worked in the pharmacy and grocery business in Sycamore for 23 years. Before he became Sycamore Postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
from 1898-1908 he also worked for 17 years as treasurer of Reuben Ellwood Manufacturing.The 1859 Chauncey Ellwood House
Chauncey Ellwood House
The Chauncey Ellwood House is a 19th century Italianate residence in the DeKalb County, Illinois city of Sycamore. It is a contributing property to the Sycamore Historic District; added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The house is in the 800 block of Somonauk Street...
, a prominent Italianate home, is in Somonauk Street's 800 block.
Other houses
The Charles O. Boynton HouseCharles O. Boynton House
The Charles O. Boynton House is located in the DeKalb County, Illinois, city of Sycamore. The home is part of the Sycamore Historic District which was designated and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in May 1978...
is an 1887 Queen Anne style home which stands along Main Street, north of the DeKalb County Courthouse
DeKalb County Courthouse (Illinois)
The DeKalb County Courthouse is located in the county seat of DeKalb County, Illinois, U.S.A., the city of Sycamore. The Classical Revival structure sits on a square facing Illinois Route 64 as it passes through the city. The current courthouse was constructed in 1905 amid controversy over where...
. Its distinctive red brick facade has aged fairly well and the porch is nearly exactly as it was in the late 19th century. Boynton was a dry goods dealer. On the adjacent property is the Frederick B. Townsend House
Frederick B. Townsend House
The Frederick B. Townsend House is located in the DeKalb County, Illinois county seat of Sycamore. The home is within the boundaries of the Sycamore Historic District. The district was designated and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in May 1978...
. The c. 1890 Queen Anne style home was gifted by Charles O. Boynton, father of Mary Townsend, to her and Frederick Townsend for their wedding. Townsend helped found the DeKalb County Farm Bureau and was a native of DeKalb County.
At least two other contributing houses are found south of the Boynton and Townsend Houses. The D. B. James House
D. B. James House
The D. B. James House is located in Sycamore, Illinois and is part of the Sycamore Historic District. The district was entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The James House is one of 226 properties located within the district boundaries. It stands on the corner of Exchange...
is a circa 1860 home located on Exchange Street directly behind the DeKalb County Courthouse, it is one of the oldest homes on that block. James was a Sycamore attorney, coincidentally, the house now holds a law office. Along Somonauk Street is another of the district's elegant examples of Queen Anne architecture, the David Syme House
David Syme House
The David Syme House is located in Sycamore, Illinois and is part of the Sycamore Historic District. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in May 1978. The Queen Anne style home was constructed sometime around 1880.-History:...
. The Somonauk Street house was designed by George Garnsey of Chicago and constructed around 1880.
See also
Other structure in the district- Charles O. Boynton HouseCharles O. Boynton HouseThe Charles O. Boynton House is located in the DeKalb County, Illinois, city of Sycamore. The home is part of the Sycamore Historic District which was designated and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in May 1978...
- Carlos Lattin HouseCarlos Lattin HouseThe Carlos Lattin House was built by Sycamore, Illinois' first settler. It lies within the boundaries of the Sycamore Historic District and is listed as one of the contributing structures in the district...
- Churches in Sycamore Historic DistrictChurches in Sycamore Historic DistrictAs of 2007 there are five church buildings in the Sycamore Historic District, located in Sycamore, Illinois, United States which are listed as contributing properties to the district. The Sycamore Historic District was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on May 2, 1978...
- Commercial buildings in Sycamore Historic DistrictCommercial buildings in Sycamore Historic DistrictThe commercial buildings in the Sycamore Historic District, located in Sycamore, Illinois, United States are mostly located in and around the city's downtown. The largest concentration of commercial contributing properties to the historic district are found along Illinois Route 64 as it passes...
- Frederick B. Townsend HouseFrederick B. Townsend HouseThe Frederick B. Townsend House is located in the DeKalb County, Illinois county seat of Sycamore. The home is within the boundaries of the Sycamore Historic District. The district was designated and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in May 1978...
- David Syme HouseDavid Syme HouseThe David Syme House is located in Sycamore, Illinois and is part of the Sycamore Historic District. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in May 1978. The Queen Anne style home was constructed sometime around 1880.-History:...
- D.B. James House
Other registered places in DeKalb county
- Adolphus W. Brower HouseAdolphus W. Brower HouseThe Adolphus W. Brower House, in Sycamore, Illinois, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since February 14, 1979. The home is located on Illinois Route 64 as it passes through the DeKalb County seat of Sycamore as DeKalb Avenue. The Italianate structure, constructed of stone...
- Ellwood HouseEllwood HouseThe Ellwood House was built as a private home by barbed wire entrepreneur Isaac Ellwood in 1879. It is located on First Street in DeKalb, Illinois, United States, in DeKalb County. The Victorian style home, designed by George O. Garnsey, underwent remodeling in 1898-1899 and 1911...
Related articles
- American colonial architecture
- Georgian architectureGeorgian architectureGeorgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...