Old Sycamore Hospital

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Old Sycamore Hospital
Sycamore Il Sycamore Hospital3.jpg
Location Sycamore, DeKalb County, Illinois
Coordinates 41°59′2″N88°41′39″W / 41.98389°N 88.69417°W / 41.98389; -88.69417 Coordinates: 41°59′2″N88°41′39″W / 41.98389°N 88.69417°W / 41.98389; -88.69417
Area Sycamore Historic District
Built 1899 [1]
Architect Letitia A. Westgate [1]
Part of Sycamore Historic District (#78003104 [2] )
Added to NRHP May 2, 1978

Old Sycamore Hospital is two-story brick structure in downtown Sycamore, Illinois, United States. It is a contributing structure within the Sycamore Historic District. The district was established when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The hospital building is located at the corner of Elm and Somonauk Streets in Sycamore.

Sycamore, Illinois City in Illinois, United States

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 in 2000. Sycamore is the county seat of DeKalb County and was named after the sycamore tree.

United States Federal republic in North America

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country comprising 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.

Contributing property key component of a place listed on the National Register of Historic Places

In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant. Government agencies, at the state, national, and local level in the United States, have differing definitions of what constitutes a contributing property but there are common characteristics. Local laws often regulate the changes that can be made to contributing structures within designated historic districts. The first local ordinances dealing with the alteration of buildings within historic districts was in Charleston, South Carolina in 1931.

History

The old hospital building was once home to the 1899, funded and designed by Letitia A. Westgate, at a total cost of $25,000. [1] Westgate was Sycamore's first female physician. Sycamore Hospital, then known as Sycamore Surgical Hospital, was the first hospital in DeKalb County. [3]

DeKalb County, Illinois County in the United States

DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 105,160. Its county seat is Sycamore.

In late 1901 the hospital's future was in jeopardy, due to a medical malpractice suit. [4] The city of Sycamore saw that the Sycamore Hospital building could become available on the open market. The city contacted Andrew Carnegie to request a $25,000 grant to purchase and remodel the hospital for use as a library. The city's request for the grant was ultimately approved, albeit for the construction of a new building across the street from the DeKalb County Courthouse. [5]

Medical malpractice is a legal cause of action that occurs when a medical or health care professional deviates from standards in his or her profession, thereby causing injury to a patient.

Andrew Carnegie American businessman and philanthropist

Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, business magnate, and philanthropist.

DeKalb County Courthouse (Illinois) local government building in the United States

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 the courthouse and thus, ultimately, the county seat would be located. The current building is the third structure to bear the name "DeKalb County Courthouse." DeKalb County's Courthouse still serves as the county's primary judicial center and is a contributing property to the Sycamore Historic District. The district joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. As the county's primary courthouse for over 100 years, the site has been host to many trials, including prominent murder cases.

Westgate left the Sycamore area by 1907 to become the city chemist in Aurora, Illinois. [1] [3] The hospital operated for another ten years but in 1917 the property was acquired by the Elks Club. [1]

Aurora, Illinois City in Illinois, United States

Aurora, a suburb of Chicago, is a city in DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located primarily in DuPage and Kane counties, it is an outer suburb of Chicago and the second most populous city in the state, and the 115th most populous city in the country. The population was 197,899 at the 2010 census, and was estimated to have increased to 200,965 by 2017.

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks American fraternal order

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order founded in 1868 originally as a social club in New York City. Membership was originally restricted to white men, but the organization now has a more inclusive membership policy.

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Decatur, Georgia City in Georgia, United States

Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia that is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 20,148 in the 2013 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple ZIP Codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name. The city is served by three MARTA rail stations. The city is located approximately 5 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta and shares its western border with Atlanta.

Sycamore Historic District historic district in Sycamore, Illinois

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.

Sycamore Public Library library

The Sycamore Public Library, in Sycamore, Illinois, was erected in 1905 in the former location of Mansion House, Sycamore's oldest structure. Construction began in May of that year and the library officially opened to the public on Thanksgiving Day, 1905. The library joined the National Register of Historic Places in May 1978 with the rest of the Sycamore Historic District. The library still operates, as of 2019, as the Sycamore library. The library was erected with the help of a $10,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie in 1905.

D. B. James House house in Sycamore, Illinois

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 and Main Streets behind the DeKalb County Courthouse.

United States Post Office (Sycamore, Illinois) government building in Sycamore, Illinois

The U.S. Post Office in Sycamore, Illinois is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Sycamore Historic District. The district was designated and listed in May 1978. It stands directly across the street from another key structure in the district, the Sycamore Public Library and cross-corner from the district's largest structure, the DeKalb County Courthouse. It is open M-F from 8:30 am – 6:00 pm, Sat. from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, and it is closed on Sunday.

Frederick Townsend Garage

The Frederick Townsend Garage is located in Sycamore, Illinois and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Sycamore Historic District. It sits at the base of a small incline overlooked by the large Queen Anne style Townsend House. Last a gas station, the building has been used by a number of restaurants since then. It was restored and remodeled for use as a community bank in 2016. The Sycamore Historic District was listed on the Register in May 1978.

Georges Block

The George's Block, once known as the James Block, is a 19th-century structure located in Sycamore, Illinois, along Illinois Route 64 as it passes through the DeKalb County seat. The Block is part of the Sycamore Historic District and as such is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district joined the Register in May 1978. The building dates from 1857 when it was owned by Daniel P. James but by the 1860s the building has become known as George's Block.

Charles 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. The Queen Anne style mansion sits on a stretch of Sycamore's Main Street that is dotted with other significant Historic District structures including, the Townsend House and the Townsend Garage. The Boynton House was designed by the same architect who designed the Ellwood House in nearby DeKalb and the David Syme House, another house in the Sycamore Historic District.

Civil War Memorial (Sycamore, Illinois) memorial in Sycamore, Illinois, United States

The Civil War Memorial, in the DeKalb County county seat of Sycamore, Illinois, United States, is located in front of the DeKalb County Courthouse on a public square. The memorial was erected in 1896 and dedicated in 1897. The structure is a memorial to the thousands of DeKalb County residents who served in the American Civil War. It incorporates an obelisk which rises to 50 feet in height. The base is adorned with copper sculpture, completed by an unknown sculptor. On the east facade of the memorial the word "Antietam", denoting the Battle of Antietam, is misspelled. This work of public art underwent its first restoration work in 2005-2006.

Chauncey Ellwood House building in Illinois, United States

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. The Esther Mae Nesbitt House, next door, was once the carriage house for the home.

Carlos Lattin House building in Illinois, United States

The Carlos Lattin House was built by Illinois' first settler, Carlos Lattin. It lies within the boundaries of the Sycamore Historic District and is listed as one of the contributing structures in the district. The Sycamore Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Charles O. Boynton Carriage House

The Charles O. Boynton Carriage House is a prominent structure in the Sycamore Historic District, located in Sycamore, Illinois. The Sycamore Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The Carriage House is considered one of more than 150 contributing properties to the overall historic integrity of the district.

Peter Johnsen Rooming House building in Illinois, United States

The Peter Johnsen Rooming House is an historic building near downtown Sycamore, Illinois. The red brick structure stands in the 100 block of South Main Street and is considered a contributing structure to the overall historic integrity of the Sycamore Historic District. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in May 1978.

Row houses (Sycamore, Illinois) building in Illinois, United States

The Row Houses in Sycamore, Illinois are a small collection of historic terraced homes near the city's downtown. The building is considered by the National Register of Historic Places to be a contributing structure to the overall historic nature of the Sycamore Historic District. The district was added to the Register in May 1978. The buildings stand on the corner of Elm and California Streets in Sycamore.

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.

Commercial buildings in Sycamore Historic District

The 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 through Sycamore. They include several buildings known as "blocks" which can consist of more than one adjacent and attached structure, as is the case with the Waterman Block, one of the Sycamore commercial buildings.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Sycamore Historic District Informational Poster, on site, corner of Elm and Somonauk Streets, Sycamore, Illinois. Photograph on Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved February 17, 2007
  2. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service.
  3. 1 2 Dr. L.A. Westgate, Mendota Museum and Historical Society . Retrieved February 17, 2007.
  4. ↑ Johnson, Phyllis. Sycamore's library starts celebration of first 100 years , Daily Chronicle, 2005-05-16, Retrieved February 17, 2007.
  5. ↑ Bigolin, Steve. The Sycamore Historic District: Location 7A, Daily Chronicle, 2006-10-16. Retrieved February 17, 2007.
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