Durant House (St. Charles, Illinois) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Durant House
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Durant House in 2010
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | St. Charles, Illinois |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1843 |
| Architect | Bryant Durant |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000714 |
| Added to NRHP | June 18, 1976 |
The Durant House, also known as the Durant–Peterson House, is a special old home located near St. Charles, Illinois. It's part of St. Charles Township in Illinois. This house is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. This means it's officially recognized as a historic building worth protecting.
Contents
Who Lived in the Durant House?
Bryant Durant: The Builder
The story of the Durant House begins with a man named Bryant Durant. He was born in 1808 in a town called Ware, Massachusetts. When he was just 13 years old, Bryant started working as a bricklayer. This was a tough job, building things with bricks.
In the 1830s, Bryant needed to find better work opportunities. So, he moved to St. Charles, Illinois, in 1837. He started working at a family store there. In 1843, Bryant bought a large piece of land, about 195 acres, near the city. This is where he decided to build his own home.
Bryant Durant lived in this house for many years, until 1881.
The Peterson Family Takes Over
In 1881, Bryant Durant sold the house to a man named Godfrey Peterson. The Peterson family then owned the house for a long time, until 1934. During their time there, Godfrey Peterson made some changes to the house. He repaired parts of it and even added new sections.
New Owners and Restoration
After the Peterson family, the Sheldon family owned the house for a while. Then, in 1964, the Kane County Forest Preserve District bought the property. This district decided that the Durant House was a very important historical site. They wanted to bring it back to how it looked in the 1800s.
So, they worked hard to restore the house. They even filled it with furniture and items from the 19th century. This way, visitors can see what a typical home looked like back then.
Why is the Durant House Important?
The Durant House was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 18, 1976. It's recognized as a great example of a simple, everyday home from the mid-1800s.
Today, the house is open to the public for free. You can visit it and learn about its history. The Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley help manage the house and welcome visitors. They suggest a small donation to help keep the house open.
What Does the Durant House Look Like?
Original Design and Materials
The Durant House is a two-story building. It was originally built using bricks made right there in the local area. When it was first built, the house had three rooms downstairs and four rooms upstairs. It also had a basement.
Changes Over Time
When Godfrey Peterson bought the house in 1881, he added a new part made of wood to the first floor. This addition created three more rooms.
The original windows of the house were changed sometime after 1898. But during the restoration in the 1970s, new windows were put in that looked just like the old ones.
The basement has strong walls made of fieldstone. The floor of the basement was originally dirt. Later, concrete was added to the floor to make space for a heating system. The Peterson family also added a "keeping room" to the basement. This room now has stairs that lead outside.
The kitchen and the first-floor bathroom are still in their original rooms. They haven't been changed much over the years. One of the original rooms on the first floor had to be rebuilt. This is because at one point, it was changed into a garage.
