John Shastid House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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John Shastid House
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 326 East Jefferson, Pittsfield, Illinois |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1838 |
| Built by | Shastid, John Greene |
| Architectural style | Timber Frame |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000579 |
| Added to NRHP | June 26, 2003 |
The John Shastid House is a very old and special house located in Pittsfield, Illinois. It was built way back in 1838 by John Shastid, who was one of the first settlers in the area. This house is a great example of a building style called timber-frame construction, which was common a long time ago. Because of its history and unique design, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Contents
A Look Back in Time: The Shastid Family and Their Home
Who Was John Shastid?
John Greene Shastid was born in Kentucky in 1798. He and his family moved to Illinois around 1828, settling in a town called New Salem. John was looking for new chances and a better life. So, in 1836, he moved his family to Pittsfield, Pike County. At that time, Pittsfield was very small, with only six other houses.
Building a New Life in Pittsfield
Two years later, in 1838, John Shastid built this house. He lived there with his wife, Elizabeth, and their four children. John was a farmer, but he also worked in public service. He served as the Sheriff of Pike County for eight years. Elizabeth passed away in 1863, and John Shastid died in 1874. Even though their children had moved away, the family owned and rented out the house until 1927.
Abraham Lincoln's Visit
There's a cool story about the John Shastid House! John Shastid's grandson, Thomas, said that Abraham Lincoln visited the house. Lincoln was a lawyer at the time and came to Pittsfield for legal work. Family stories say that during one visit, Lincoln ate a whole pot of twelve broiled pigeons that were meant for a family dinner! This connection to Abraham Lincoln probably helped make sure the house was saved and preserved.
The House Today
The Shastid House was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 2003. Today, the house is owned by the Pike County Historical Society. They offer tours of the house if you make an appointment. The Society also runs the Pike County Historical Society Museum in Pittsfield.
How the House Was Built: Timber Frame Design
The John Shastid House is a special kind of building called a timber frame house. This style uses large, strong wooden beams to create the main structure of the house.
What is Timber Framing?
The house is built from big, square wooden beams. These beams are connected using a method called mortise and tenon joints. Imagine a peg (the tenon) fitting perfectly into a hole (the mortise). This is how timber-frame buildings are put together. This style is different from:
- Log cabins: These use rounded logs stacked on top of each other.
- Balloon framing: This is a more modern style that uses smaller pieces of wood and lots of nails.
Unique Construction Methods
The beams in the Shastid House were hewn instead of sawn. This means they were shaped by hand using tools like an axe, rather than being cut by a sawmill. This was probably because Pittsfield didn't have a sawmill in 1838. Well-preserved timber-frame houses are quite rare in Illinois. The Shastid House is the only example of this building method still standing in Pittsfield.
See also
