James Millikin was a wealthy Decatur businessman who was born in western Pennsylvania in 1827 and educated at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. In 1848 he moved to Danville, Illinois where he engaged in the livestock business, In 1860, four years after moving to Decatur, he organized a bank in his name, and thereafter made the city his permanent home. The most extensive of his many philanthropic activities during his later years was the founding by him in 1901 of the James Millikin University at Decatur.
Millikin's mansion was constructed for him and his wife, Anna, in 1875-76 at a cost of $18,000, It is basically a towered Italianate residence of a type popular during the 1860's; however, the high mansard roof of the tower, derived from the French Second Empire style, makes the home something of a composite of the two.
Seen in this photo behind and to the left of the mansion is a carriage house. The carriage house proper is a symmetrical structure made of the same red brick as the mansion and forming a stylistic entity with it. A one story addition along the west wall of the carriage house was added at some point and is matched to the original structure by use of identical materials, window treatment and decorative motifs.
James and Anna Millikin occupied the home for over 30 years. James died here in 1909 at the age of 82, and his wife Anna continued living in the home until her passing in 1913. The Millikin's wished for their mansion to serve the creative life of Decatur, and Anna's will specified the it was to be used as an art gallery, institute, and museum.
After Anna's death, the home stood empty for six years while the trustees tried to reach a consensus to implement the provisions set forth in Anna's will. It was during this period that the Millikin House was used as a contagion hospital during the great Flu Pandemic of 1918-19. After the pandemic the mansion became the Art Institute, which would later become the Decatur Art Center.
The James Millikin House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 3, 1974. In 1979, the James Millikin Homestead was created to restore and preserve the interior of this Decatur landmark. Today the mansion is open for tours, and the mansion and grounds are open for special events.
Lastly, take a look at the partially obscured house to the north (right in this view) of Millikin House. This Prairie School gem was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. A separate photo of showing the full house will be posted later in this series.
Decatur is the seat of Macon County. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in central Illinois. Decatur has an economy based on industrial and agricultural commodity processing and production. The city is home of private Millikin University and public Richland Community College.
Decatur's estimated population for 2019 was 70,746, making Decatur the thirteenth-most populous city in Illinois, and the state's sixth-most populous city outside the Chicago metropolitan area.
Tags: Decatur Macon County Central Illinois Illinois Residential Architecture James Millikin House James Millikin Homestead Mansion Carriage House Museum 125 N. Pine St Architectural Style Italianate Second Empire Private Residence Contagion Hospital Flu Pandemic of 1918-19 Fine Arts Decatur Art Center Millikin University National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 74000764 Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 2 Millikin Place Prairie School Frank Lloyd Wright
James Millikin was a wealthy Decatur businessman who was born in western Pennsylvania in 1827 and educated at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. In 1848 he moved to Danville, Illinois where he engaged in the livestock business, In 1860, four years after moving to Decatur, he organized a bank in his name, and thereafter made the city his permanent home. The most extensive of his many philanthropic activities during his later years was the founding by him in 1901 of the James Millikin University at Decatur.
Millikin's mansion was constructed for him and his wife, Anna, in 1875-76 at a cost of $18,000, It is basically a towered Italianate residence of a type popular during the 1860's; however, the high mansard roof of the tower, derived from the French Second Empire style, makes the home something of a composite of the two.
Seen in this photo behind and to the right of the mansion is a carriage house. The carriage house proper is a symmetrical structure made of the same red brick as the mansion and forming a stylistic entity with it. A one story addition along the west wall of the carriage house was added at some point and is matched to the original structure by use of identical materials, window treatment and decorative motifs.
James and Anna Millikin occupied the home for over 30 years. James died here in 1909 at the age of 82, and his wife Anna continued living in the home until her passing in 1913. The Millikin's wished for their mansion to serve the creative life of Decatur, and Anna's will specified the it was to be used as an art gallery, institute, and museum.
After Anna's death, the home stood empty for six years while the trustees tried to reach a consensus to implement the provisions set forth in Anna's will. It was during this period that the Millikin House was used as a contagion hospital during the great Flu Pandemic of 1918-19. After the pandemic the mansion became the Art Institute, which would later become the Decatur Art Center.
The James Millikin House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 3, 1974. In 1979, the James Millikin Homestead was created to restore and preserve the interior of this Decatur landmark. Today the mansion is open for tours, and the mansion and grounds are open for special events.
Decatur is the seat of Macon County. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in central Illinois. Decatur has an economy based on industrial and agricultural commodity processing and production. The city is home of private Millikin University and public Richland Community College.
Decatur's estimated population for 2019 was 70,746, making Decatur the thirteenth-most populous city in Illinois, and the state's sixth-most populous city outside the Chicago metropolitan area.
Tags: Decatur Macon County Central Illinois Illinois Residential Architecture James Millikin House James Millikin Homestead Mansion Carriage House Museum 125 N. Pine St Architectural Style Italianate Second Empire Private Residence Contagion Hospital Flu Pandemic of 1918-19 Fine Arts Decatur Art Center Millikin University National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 74000764 Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
A corner view of the Fiddick House in Galena. John Fiddick was born in Cornwell, England in 1826. He immigrated to the United States in 1841, and became a prominent dry goods merchant in Galena. Fiddick built this beautiful Second Empire style mansion in 1859, with additions made in 1883. He lived to the age of 92, and is buried in Galena's Greenwood Cemetery along with his wife, Mary.
This angle also provides a glimpse of the Asa Haile Row House next door. This Federal-style brick home with Greek Revival accents was constructed in 1856 for Asa Haile Row, a riverboat captain and successful mason. Both the Fiddick House and Row House are contributing properties in the Galena Historic District which encompasses 85 percent of the City of Galena and includes more than 800 properties. The Galena Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, with modifications in 2013.
Galena is the seat of Jo Daviess County in the northwest corner of Illinois. This is the unglaciated area of northwestern Illinois. The rolling hills, history and abundant 19th century architecture draws visitors from throughout the country. The estimated population of Galena in 2019 was 3,158.
Tags: Galena Jo Daviess County Northwestern Illinois Northern Illinois Illinois IL John Fiddick John Fiddick House Fiddick House Fiddick Mansion 215 S. Prospect St. Residential Architecture Architectural Style Second Empire Asa Haile Row Row House 209-211 S. Prospect St. Architectural Style 2 Greek Revival Galena Historic District Contributing Property National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 6900056 13000854 Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Next door to the Cruikshank Mansion on W. Williams St. is the Gebhardt House. Harvey Stuart Gebhardt was born in Decatur in 1870, the son of a local merchant. He began his own business in 1907, purchasing the Hinman store in downtown Decatur. William Gushard and H.S. Gebhart operated stores on opposite corners of Water and William St for 25 years. In 1932, the Gebhart store moved in with the Gushard store and it became Gebhart-Gushard. The Gebhart building on the southwest corner of William and Water no longer stands.
Harvey Gebhart married his second wife, Blanche Wright of Champaign, in 1917 and built this house for her in 1922. Harvey passed away in 1933. The Gebhardt House is a contributing property in the Decatur Historic District, a residential historic district in the Millikin Heights neighborhood of the city that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Decatur is the seat of Macon County. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in central Illinois. Decatur has an economy based on industrial and agricultural commodity processing and production. The city is home of private Millikin University and public Richland Community College.
Decatur's estimated population for 2019 was 70,746, making Decatur the thirteenth-most populous city in Illinois, and the state's sixth-most populous city outside the Chicago metropolitan area.
Tags: Decatur Macon County Central Illinois Illinois IL Residential Architecture Harvey Gebhardt Blanche Gebhardt Gebhardt House Near West Side Near West End Millikin Heights Neighborhood 849 W. William St. Significant Property Decatur Historic District National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 76000719 Season Winter Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Designed by the Los Angeles architectural firm of Hunt, Eager & Burns, this 5,400 sq. ft. Arts and Crafts style mansion was built in 1910 for Decatur businessman William J. Grady and his first wife, Sarah. The 11-room house continued to be home for Grady after he divorced Sarah in 1921, married Esther Bonney in 1926 and even after Esther died in 1961. They had no children. Indeed, the second family to live at No. 3 Millikin Place didn't move in until the year after the one-time president of Faries Mfg. Co. died in 1968 at age 92.
The W. J. Grady House holds the distinction of being the first house to be completed on Millikin Place, located along the north edge of the historic James Millikin House and property shown earlier in this series (see my album: Macon County, Illinois).
The core characteristics of the Arts and Crafts movement are a belief in craftsmanship which stresses the inherent beauty of the material, the importance of nature as inspiration, and the value of simplicity, utility, and beauty.
The W. J. Grady House is an architecturally significant property in the Decatur Historic District, a residential historic district in the Millikin Heights neighborhood of Decatur. The district encompasses the city's historic Near West and Southwest neighborhoods and was formed beginning in the 1850s and continuing through the 1920s. The Decatur Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Decatur is the seat of Macon County. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in central Illinois. Decatur has an economy based on industrial and agricultural commodity processing and production. The city is home of private Millikin University and public Richland Community College.
Decatur's estimated population for 2019 was 70,746, making Decatur the thirteenth-most populous city in Illinois, and the state's sixth-most populous city outside the Chicago metropolitan area.
Tags: Decatur Macon County Central Illinois Illinois IL Residential Architecture Architectural Style California Arts and Crafts Mission-Style Architects Hunt, Eager & Burns W. J. Grady William J. Grady Faries Manufacturing Co. Near West Side Near West End Millikin Heights Neighborhood 3 Millikin Place Significant Property Architectural Decatur Historic District National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 76000719 Season Winter Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
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