John Deere House facts for kids
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John Deere House
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1217 11th Ave. Moline, Illinois |
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| Built | c. 1870 |
| Architect | J.G.Salisbury |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| NRHP reference No. | 02001756 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | February 5, 2003 |
The John Deere House is a special historic building in Moline, Illinois. This house is connected to the famous inventor and businessman, John Deere. It sits high up on a bluff, giving it an amazing view of the Mississippi River Valley and the city below. In 2002, it was named a Moline Historic Landmark. The house was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. This means it's recognized as an important part of history!
Contents
History of the John Deere Home
The John Deere House was first built around 1870. It was designed in the Italianate style for a grocer named William B. Dawson. The property was quite large, with three lots. It included the house, a barn, other small buildings, and even fruit trees and a place for grapes.
However, the first owner, Mr. Dawson, couldn't keep the property. So, John Deere bought the house and its three lots in 1875. For the next five years, Deere worked to make the house bigger and better. He added many new parts, which more than doubled its size. He finally moved in during 1880.
Cool Inventions in the House
John Deere added two very clever things to his new home. First, he created an early form of air conditioning. He buried ceramic tiles from the basement down to the lowest part of the property. This allowed cool air from the lower hillside to flow into the basement and then up into the house's lower floors. It helped keep the house cool!
His second invention helped the house stay strong in bad weather. Because the house was on top of a bluff, it could get very windy. Deere bolted long iron bars onto the corners of the house. These bars helped hold the house firmly onto its foundation, even in strong winds.
Red Cliff: Deere's Grand Home
After the renovations, the house looked different. It was now in the Second Empire style. It had lovely porches, tall turrets, and fancy iron decorations on the roof. There were also bay windows and a beautiful walnut staircase inside.
John Deere even had an office in the house. From there, he could look down and see his factories in the valley below. The family's bedrooms were on the second floor. The third floor had a ballroom for parties and rooms for the servants. Deere named his large, 8,000-square-foot home "Red Cliff."
Life and Legacy at Red Cliff
John Deere lived in Red Cliff for six years until he passed away in 1886. His body rested in the front parlor, and thousands of people came to pay their respects. His wife, Lucenia, lived in the house for two more years until she died in 1888.
The house stayed in the Deere family until 1933. After that, it was sold to a banker.
Later Years and Restoration Efforts
In 1936, the house was sold to an interior decorator. They divided the large home into 11 separate apartments. For the next 50 years, the property had many different owners.
By 1988, the house had been divided even further, into 16 small apartments. It was in very bad shape, and the yard was overgrown. A person who worked to save historic buildings, Barbara Sandberg, convinced the city of Moline to buy the house. The city bought it in 1993, hoping to find someone who would restore it. They showed the house to many possible buyers.
In 1996, the city sold the house to a private owner for a very low price of $100. The new owners promised to finish renovating the house by 2000. Their plan was to turn it into a bed and breakfast and a place for public events. Many renovations were done, but the work stopped in 2003.
After some legal discussions, work started again in 2008 but soon stopped once more. The house changed hands a few more times. It was sold again in 2011, and efforts to restore this important historic building continue.
