George H. Gurler House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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George H. Gurler House
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![]() The 1857 Gurler House in DeKalb, Illinois
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Location | 205 Pine St., De Kalb, Illinois |
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Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1857 |
Architectural style | Greek Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 79003158 |
Added to NRHP | March 21, 1979 |
The George H. Gurler House, often called the Gurler House, is a historic home in DeKalb, Illinois. This house is special because it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important part of history. It was added to this list in 1979. The house was built in 1857. Members of George H. Gurler's family lived here starting in 1888. George Gurler was famous for helping start the Gurler Brothers Creamery, a dairy business. He also led the DeKalb County Farmer's Institute, which later became part of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
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Architecture
The Gurler House was built in the Greek Revival style. This type of architecture was popular in the United States during the 1800s. It often features tall columns and grand entrances, similar to ancient Greek temples. It's thought that Jacob Haish might have designed this house.
History
The Early Years of the Gurler House
People believe the Gurler House was built in 1857. However, old county records from that time are not available to confirm this. A sign in front of the house says 1857, and the Gurler Heritage Association celebrated its 150th birthday in 2007.
Around 1857, a local banker named Ellzey Young had the house built. He built it for himself and his new wife, Alida Ellwood. Alida was the younger sister of Isaac Ellwood, who was famous for his barbed wire business. George Gurler did not buy the house until many years later.
The land where the Gurler House stands was first sold by the U.S. government in 1844. It was a large piece of land, about 80 acres (32 hectares). It was bought by Steven S. Jones, who was a lawyer from Kane County, Illinois.
In 1846, the land was sold to Russell Huntley, one of the first settlers of DeKalb. Huntley and his brother owned the land together for a while. Later, in 1853, Lewis Huntley divided the land into 93 city lots. This was done to create new areas for the growing town.
Building the House
The specific lots where the Gurler House now stands were sold to Ellzey P. Young in 1857. Young and his wife, Alida, paid $320 for these three lots. This record helps confirm that the house was likely built in 1857.
However, there's another idea about when the house was built. Records show that Young took out a mortgage for $537 in February 1858. A mortgage is a loan used to buy or build a home. Some people think this money might have helped the Youngs build a grander house than a simple log cabin. This would mean the house might have been finished in 1858.
The Gurlers Move In
The Gurler family, led by George Gurler, moved into the house in 1893. Before George moved in, his nephews had lived there since 1888. These nephews were the sons of George's brother Henry, with whom he started the successful dairy business.
The Gurler Brothers Creamery later sold its special milking process to another company. In return, they received a small ownership share in that company. Eventually, this share and the Gurler House were passed down to Emrah Gurler. Emrah then generously donated the house to the DeKalb Historical Society.
Beatrice Gurler, George H. Gurler's daughter, lived in the house until she passed away in 1977. After her death, people in the community worked hard to save the house from being torn down. They even used special city funds to help buy the property. The story of how the house was saved is very interesting!