Sycamore Historic District
Sycamore Historic District | |
 The 1855 Arthur Stark House, also functioned as a Universalist Church, on Main Street in Sycamore. Part of the Sycamore Historic District.[1] | |
| Location | Sycamore, DeKalb County, Illinois, USA |
|---|---|
| Built | Various years, see article. |
| Added to NRHP | May 2, 1978[2] |
The Sycamore Historic District is a meandering area encompassing 99 acres of the land in and around the downtown of the DeKalb County, Illinois county seat, Sycamore. The area is comprised of historic buildings and a number of historical and Victorian homes.[3] 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.[4] 226 properties are located within the Sycamore Historic District's 99 acres.[5]
Boundaries
The Historic District is bounded by Somonauk Street on the west and Main Street on the east, a stretch of two blocks. On the north end the district is bounded by Page Steet and extends to the end of South Main street. Main and Somonauk are both north/south roads while Page is an east/west street. The district also extends along State Street (Illinois Route 64) to the west until the 300 block. Somonauk Street is included through its 900 block. In addition section of Locust, Maple and California Streets are within the Sycamore Historic District. Other east/west streets also have portions included in the district, these are: Elm, High, Ottawa, Waterman and Lincoln.[5]
The boundaries were drawn up by Robert Wagner, a Chicagoan who worked as a National Register assistant with the Illinois Department of Conservation. Wagner drew up the boundaries on the basis of "visual integrity.".[5] This led to an irregular pattern of inclusion for the Sycamore Historic District. Often one side of the street will be in the district while the other side was not. In other cases, such as with the library or the U.S. Post Office an arbitrary line was drawn with the sole purpose of including a specific structure.[5]
Architecture
The hodge podge of architectural styles that mingle in the Sycamore Historic District begins with Greek Revival structures which date from Sycamore's foundation in the mid to late 1830s, also the heyday for that particular style. These structures are the oldest surviving within the district. After the Civil War other styles began to dot the landscape in and around downtown Sycamore, Illinois. Styles such as Italianate, Gothic Revival and Queen Anne can be found throughout the neighborhood. Government buildings and commercial buildings offer prime examples of Classical Revival architecture, a style showcased by the ornate DeKalb County Courthouse, Sycamore Public Library, U.S. Post Office and The National Bank & Trust Co. building. The current Sycamore Center, in the 300 block of State Street and once known as the Daniel Pierce Block, also exhibits. Classical Revival architecture.[5]
Of the 226 properties within the Sycamore Historic District 40 are identified as "strongly contributing" to the overall character of the district. Twenty-one of those are ranked as the most significant structures in the district. The majority of the rest of the buildings date from 1860-1900.[5]
The structures
Sycamore Historic District includes a combination of residential, commercial, government and religious buildings. A number of Victorian homes along Main Street are enclosed in the historic district as well as a number of buildings in downtown Sycamore.
DeKalb County Courthouse
Possibly the gem of the Sycamore Historic District is the DeKalb County Courthouse. The Courthouse sits in the center of a square facing Illinois Route 64, directly across the north/south street, Main, from the Sycamore Public Library. It is a stunning example of Classical Revival architecture. The current structure was erected in 1905 being the third in a line of courthouses to serve DeKalb County.[6]
Other notable structures
- Arthur Stark Home/Universalist Church: 1855
- Charles O. Boynton Residence: 1887 Queen Anne style home. The distinctive red brick facade has aged fairly well and the porch remains much the same as it did in the 19th century. Boynton was a dry goods dealer.[7]
- Daniel Pierce Block
- Frederick B. Townsend Residence: 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.[8]
- Sycamore Hospital
- U.S. Post Office
St. John's Church
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. John formerly stood on Main Street in the Sycamore Historic District until it was "totally destroyed" by fire in February 2004.[9] The 1937-38 building was one of the most notable structures within the historic district. Even as the church burned it made its mark on history. Two Sycamore firefighters were injured in the blaze. The fire's resulting backdraft caused an explosion and is the largest recorded backdraft incidents in United State history.[10]
Sycamore Public Library
Sycamore Public Library, the only structure on the east side of Main Street, between State and Page Streets, that is included in the Sycamore Historic District. The library, still operational today, was constructed in 1905 with a combination of philanthropical gifts from different sources including Andrew Carnegie. The building was designed, in part, by architect Paul O. Moratz.
Notes
- ^ Plaque at Stark House, (Photograph at Wikimedia Commons), Retrieved January 13, 2007.
- ^ NRIS Database, National Register of Historic Places, retrieved Jan. 2007.
- ^ Sycamore Historic District, Recreation and Tourism, City of Sycamore, Official site.
- ^ NRIS Database, National Register of Historic Places, retrieved Jan. 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Bigolin, Steve. The Sycamore Historic District: Introduction, Daily Chronicle, 14 August 2006.
- ^ DeKalb County Courthouse, Wild Prairie Digitization Project, Northern Illinois University, 2004.
- ^ Bigolin, Steve. The Sycamore Historic District: Location 3, Daily Chronicle, 5 September 2006, Retrieved January 13, 2007.
- ^ Bigolin, Steve. The Sycamore Historic District: Location 2, Daily Chronicle, 28 August 2006, Retrieved January 13, 2007.
- ^ Mikolajczyk, Paul L. Fire destroys church, Daily Chronicle, 10 February 2004, Retrieved January 13, 2007.
- ^ Mayer, Jeanie Church celebrates 130 years of keeping the faith, The Courier News, 13 December 2006, Retrieved January 13, 2007.
