George Clayson House | |
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| Location | 224 E. Palatine Rd., Palatine, Illinois |
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| Coordinates | 42°6′37.17″N88°2′17.79″W / 42.1103250°N 88.0382750°W |
| Area | 0.4 acres (0.16 ha) |
| Built | 1873 |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000835 [1] |
| Added to NRHP | March 21, 1979 [1] |
The George Clayson House, located at 224 East Palatine Road in Palatine, Illinois, is a Second Empire home built in 1873 that has been restored to its 1890-1900 appearance. [2]
George H. Clayson was probably a local carpenter who also operated a grape orchard south of his property. Clayson moved to Palatine, Illinois from New York in the 1860s. He became a member of the Palatine Board of Trustees. Clayson acquired the 10-acre (4.0 ha) property from Denzel F. Robinson in 1873. Clayson sold the house to Moses D. Brown in 1881. [3] Clayson sold the property so that he could move to nearby Nunda to expand his orchard interests. [4] The Palatine Public Library purchased the property in 1975 so that the Palatine Historical Society could rehabilitate it and maintain it as a public museum. [3] On March 21, 1979, the house was recognized by the National Park Service with a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. [1] Today it is still operated as a museum on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. It is operated by the historical society and maintained by the Palatine Park District. [5]
The house is one of fewer than two dozen buildings in Palatine that are at least 125 years old. It was almost certainly based on a design in a pattern book. Customary to the Second Empire design motif, the house features a prominent Mansard roof. The first floor features a parlor, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, and library. The second floor had five bedrooms. The wood-frame house sits on a brick foundation. [3]
