Elihu Benjamin Washburne House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Elihu Benjamin Washburne House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 908 3rd St., Galena, Illinois |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1844 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000708 |
| Added to NRHP | July 5, 1973 |
The Elihu Benjamin Washburne House is a cool old house in Galena, Illinois. It is also known as the Washburne-Sheehan House. This house was built in 1844 and 1845. It belonged to Elihu Benjamin Washburne. He was a very important lawyer from Galena.
Mr. Washburne served in the U.S. Congress during the American Civil War. He also worked for President Ulysses S. Grant. He was even the Secretary of State and an ambassador to France! The Washburne House became a special historic place in 1973.
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History of the Washburne House
Elihu Washburne came from a famous political family. They were from Maine. His family helped start the Republican Party. Elihu moved to Galena in 1840. He wanted to practice law there. He became very successful.
His house showed how important he was. He even helped design and build it himself! In 1859, the house became bigger. This was while Mr. Washburne was working in Congress. Elihu and his wife, Adele Gratiot Washburne, lived there until 1882. Then they moved to Chicago. Elihu Washburne passed away in Chicago in 1887. He is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Galena.
After the Washburnes moved, the Sheehan family bought the house. They owned it until 1968. Then, the State of Illinois bought it.
House Design: Greek Revival Style
The Elihu B. Washburne House is a great example of Greek Revival architecture. This style was popular in the mid-1800s. It looks like ancient Greek temples.
The house has a two-story porch. This porch has four large columns. These columns are called Doric columns. They have special grooves called fluting.
Visiting the Historic Site
The Elihu B. Washburne House is now a special place. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency takes care of it. You can visit the house and take a tour! It is an Illinois State Historic Site.
During the tours, you can see the first floor. You can also see two bedrooms on the second floor. The tours teach you about Elihu Washburne. They also talk about his friendships with Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant. These friendships were important during the Civil War. The rooms are decorated to look like they did in the mid-1800s. They show how a successful family lived back then.
Why the House is Important
The U.S. National Register of Historic Places added the Washburne House to its list on July 5, 1973. This means it is a very important building. Experts in the 1970s noted the house's importance. They liked its architecture. They also recognized its connection to Elihu Washburne.
The Washburne House is also part of the Galena Historic District. This district was named in 1969. It has over 1,000 historic buildings.
