Jones House (Pontiac, Illinois)

Last updated
Jones House
Pontiac IL Jones House5.JPG
Location Pontiac, Illinois, United States
Built1857-58
ArchitectJohn Dehner (builder)
Architectural style Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No. 78001163
Added to NRHPMay 5, 1978

The Jones House is a historic brick home in the Illinois city of Pontiac. The house is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and is the second oldest brick house in Pontiac.

Contents

History

The Jones House was built from 1857 to 1858 by John Dehner, a prominent Pontiac citizen who had a stake in the Chicago and Paducah Railroad. Dehner purchased the property from Simon Dewitt in 1857 and when the house was finished in 1858 its value was assessed at $366. The house is named for the owner that acquired it in 1899, Henry C. Jones. Jones was in the newspaper business but later founded and served as president of Pontiac Light, Heat and Power Company. Jones lived in the home until his death in 1921. After his death the home passed through members of the Jones family and it was damaged by fire in 1975. In 1976 the Livingston County Historical Society purchased the property in 1976. [1] The historical society still holds the property and it is open by appointment and for events. [2]

Architecture

The Jones House features steep gables and pointed arch windows Pontiac IL Jones House3.JPG
The Jones House features steep gables and pointed arch windows

The Jones House is a good local example of Gothic Revival architecture. [1] The brick house sits on a limestone foundation. It features steep gables and pointed arch window and is considered unique to the Pontiac area. [1] Originally the house featured a porch and had wooden shingles. After its purchase by the historical society it underwent a restoration meant to be mindful of the building's architectural integrity. [1]

Historic significance

The house is architecturally significant as an excellent local example of Gothic Revival architecture. [1] Constructed in 1857–58, just one other brick home was completed in Pontiac prior to the completion of the Jones House. [1] Though the house is most significant for its architecture it also played a role in local history: John Dehner himself lived there, and later it served as the residence of another prominent early Pontiac citizen, Henry C. Jones—a newspaper publisher and the founder and president of the Pontiac Light, Heat and Power Company. [1] The Jones House was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural and historic significance associated with the early prominent citizens of Pontiac on May 5, 1978. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

Dwight, Illinois Village in Illinois, United States

Dwight is a village located mainly in Livingston County, Illinois, with a small portion in Grundy County. The population was 4,032 at the 2020 census. Dwight contains an original stretch of U.S. Route 66, and from 1892 until 2016 continuously used a railroad station designed in 1891 by Henry Ives Cobb. Interstate 55 bypasses the village to the north and west.

Alexander Jackson Davis American architect

Alexander Jackson Davis, or A. J. Davis, was an American architect, known particularly for his association with the Gothic Revival style.

Sycamore Historic District Historic district in Sycamore, Illinois, USA

The Sycamore Historic District is a meandering area encompassing 99 acres (400,000 m2) 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. Some significant structures are among those located within the Historic District including the DeKalb County Courthouse and the Sycamore Public Library. The district has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since May 2, 1978.

Houses in Sycamore Historic District

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.

Churches in Sycamore Historic District

As 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. When it was nominated to join the National Register there were seven church buildings within the district. One of those included is a residential structure that was utilized as a church when it was first constructed; the Arthur Stark House was once home to the Sycamore Universalist Church congregation. In the time since its listing, two churches have been destroyed or demolished. The Evangelical Church of St. John was destroyed by fire in 2004 and the United Methodist Church in Sycamore is no longer extant, replaced by a modern office building.

Thomas H. Gale House Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Thomas H. Gale House, or simply Thomas Gale House, is a house located in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. The house was designed by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1892 and is an example of his early work. The house was designed by Wright independently while he was still employed in the architecture firm of Adler & Sullivan, run by engineer Dankmar Adler and architect, Louis Sullivan; taking outside commissions was something that Sullivan forbade. The house is significant because of what it shows about Wright's early development period. The Parker House is listed as contributing property to a U.S. federally Registered Historic District. The house was designated an Oak Park Landmark in 2002.

Lake–Peterson House Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Lake–Peterson House, also known as Jenny's, is a Victorian Gothic Revival home in Rockford, Illinois, United States. The house was built in 1873, probably by prominent Rockford citizen John Lake - its first owner, but its architect is unknown. The house is a significant example of Gothic Revival architecture and is considered one of the finest such homes in the U.S. state of Illinois. The Lake–Peterson House is owned and maintained by Swedish American Hospital in Rockford and stands adjacent to the main hospital complex along Business US 20. The building and its carriage house were added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Benjamin Stephenson House Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Benjamin Stephenson House is a Federal style home built in 1820 in the city of Edwardsville, Illinois, United States. The house was constructed by prominent Edwardsville citizen and Illinois politician Benjamin Stephenson. He died shortly after the home's completion and the home had 15 subsequent owners, some of whom made major alterations to the original structure. In 1845 the addition of an ell altered the appearance of the house. The last two owners were the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and the current owner, the city of Edwardsville.

Chick House United States historic place

The Chick House is a former hotel building constructed in 1857 in the city of Rockford, Illinois, United States. The building's construction was financed by three Rockford citizens and it operated as a hotel from its opening until 1951. The hotel was purchased by Thomas Chick in 1888 and he renamed it from the Griggs House to the Chick House. In 2004 the city of Rockford purchased two-thirds of the building and made some modifications to the structure. The building is a mesh between the Greek Revival and Italianate styles and feature simple ornamentation that contrasts with a neighboring building. The Chick House is a Rockford Landmark and was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

Amblers Texaco Gas Station Historic building in Dwight, Illinois

Ambler's Texaco Gas Station, also known as Becker's Marathon Gas Station, is a historic filling station located at the intersection of Old U.S. Route 66 and Illinois Route 17 in the village of Dwight, Illinois, United States. The station has been identified as the longest operating gas station along Route 66; it dispensed fuel for 66 continuous years until 1999. The station is a good example of a domestic style gas station and derives its most common names from ownership stints by two different men. North of the station is an extant outbuilding that once operated as a commercial icehouse. Ambler's was the subject of major restoration work from 2005–2007, and reopened as a Route 66 visitor's center in May 2007. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

Galena Historic District United States historic place

The Galena Historic District is a historic district located in the city of Galena, Illinois, United States. The historic district encompasses 85 percent of the city of Galena and includes more than 800 properties. The downtown area consists of three successive tiers made up of Main, Bench and Prospect Streets. Within the boundaries of the district are such notable homes as the Ulysses S. Grant Home and the Elihu B. Washburne House. The Galena Historic District was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1969.

Washington Park Historic District (Ottawa, Illinois) United States historic place

Washington Park Historic District, also known as Washington Square is a historic district in and around Washington Park in the city of Ottawa, Illinois, United States. Washington Park was the site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 and is surrounded by several historic structures. The park was platted in 1831 and the historic district was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Fisher–Nash–Griggs House Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Fisher–Nash–Griggs House, also known as the Cottage Home, is a historic high-style Greek Revival house in the city of Ottawa, Illinois, United States. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Livingston County Courthouse (Illinois) United States historic place

The Livingston County Courthouse is an historic building and a longtime judicial center for Livingston County, Illinois, United States. It is located in the county seat of Pontiac.

Prairie Avenue Thoroughfare in Chicago, United States

Prairie Avenue is a north–south street on the South Side of Chicago, which historically extended from 16th Street in the Near South Side to the city's southern limits and beyond. The street has a rich history from its origins as a major trail for horseback riders and carriages. During the last three decades of the 19th century, a six-block section of the street served as the residence of many of Chicago's elite families and an additional four-block section was also known for grand homes. The upper six-block section includes part of the historic Prairie Avenue District, which was declared a Chicago Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places.

St. Josephs Catholic Church (Wapakoneta, Ohio) United States historic place

St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Wapakoneta, Ohio, United States. Built in 1910, this church is home to an active Catholic parish, and it has been declared a historic site because of its well-preserved Romanesque Revival architecture.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church United States historic place

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church is a historic Catholic church in Cassella, an unincorporated community in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. One of several Catholic churches in Marion Township, it has been designated a historic site because of its well-preserved nineteenth-century architecture.

St. Lukes Methodist Church (Monticello, Iowa) United States historic place

St. Luke's Methodist Church is a Late Gothic Revival church in Monticello, Iowa whose church building was completed in 1950. It is now the Monticello Heritage and Cultural Center. It is the only church in Iowa designed by nationally prominent architects Cram & Ferguson, who specialized in ecclesiastical architecture.

John C. Cochrane American architect

John Crombie Cochrane (1835–1887) was a prominent architect in the 19th century practicing in Chicago, Illinois. He formed Cochrane and Garnsey with George O. Garnsey.

Schnull–Rauch House Historic house in Indiana, United States

The Schnull–Rauch House, sometimes referred to as the Victorian Manor and now also branded as The Manor at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, is a National Register of Historic Places-designated Romanesque Revival historic home constructed in the early 20th century at 3050 North Meridian Street, north of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Lehman, John, and Perring, John. "Jones House", National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form, HAARGIS Database, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency , April 22, 1977, accessed July 9, 2009.
  2. "Jones House Archived 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine ", illinoisroute66.org, Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, accessed July 9, 2009.
  3. "Jones House [ permanent dead link ]", Property Information Report, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, accessed July 9, 2009.