Joseph F. Glidden House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Joseph F. Glidden House
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The home of the most famous barbed wire inventor, Joseph F. Glidden.
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| Location | DeKalb, Illinois, DeKalb County, Illinois, USA |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1861 |
| Architect | Jacob Haish |
| Architectural style | French Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 73002159 |
| Added to NRHP | October 25, 1973 |
The Joseph F. Glidden House is a historic home in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. It was once the home of Joseph Glidden, a famous inventor. He is known for creating an improved version of barbed wire. This invention changed farming and helped settle the American West.
The house was built in 1861. It shows a style called French Colonial architecture. The property also has a barn. It is believed that Glidden perfected his barbed wire invention right there in this barn! The Glidden House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This means it is a special place recognized for its history.
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Joseph Glidden's Home
The land where the Glidden House stands was once part of Joseph Glidden's large farm. His farm covered a big area in DeKalb County. It stretched from the Kishwaukee River to what is now Annie Glidden Road.
The Glidden House is a two-story building. It is made from bricks that were made nearby. These bricks are a bit soft, so they have worn down over time. The house stands on a stone foundation. A local carpenter named Jacob Haish designed the home. He later became a competitor to Glidden in the barbed wire business! The house was finished in 1861. It is a great example of French Colonial style in Illinois.
The Story of Barbed Wire
Before this house, Glidden lived in a log cabin on the same land. The Glidden House was built for him in 1861. It became very important because of his invention: barbed wire.
Glidden's invention was an improvement on an existing idea. He saw a wire fence with barbs at a fair in 1873. This gave him the idea to attach barbs to wire fencing. Glidden started experimenting in the basement kitchen of his house. He noticed that the barbs would slide along the wire. He needed a way to hold them in place.
He used two hairpins and a coffee grinder. He put the wire between the pins and turned the crank. This made a perfect barb! The next challenge was to attach the barbs to the wire so they wouldn't slip. He solved this in the barn. He tied one end of the wire to a poplar tree. He tied the other end to a grindstone. By twisting the wires together, the barbs stayed put. This simple idea changed farming forever!
Life at the Glidden House often happened in the basement. It had a kitchen, dining room, and living room. The upstairs was mostly for guests and sleeping. In 1877, Glidden's daughter, Elva, got married right there in the house.
The house has been carefully restored. The front porch was fixed, and the floors were redone. The front rooms have also been repainted.
House Design
The Glidden House is mostly in the French Colonial style. It also has some features of Greek Revival architecture. French Colonial homes were more common in the southern parts of America.
Outside the House
This two-story brick house sits on a stone foundation. It still has its original front porch. The porch stretches across the front of the house. It is about 6 feet (1.8 meters) high. Four wooden pillars support the porch. The stairs leading up to it also have wooden posts. The porch roof is held up by six wooden pillars with special brackets.
The house looks much like it did in 1861. Some small changes have been made. For example, screens on the front porch were removed. A small porch at the back was enclosed. In the early 1900s, a decorative railing on the roof was removed. A large window section on the roof was also changed to a smaller one.
The roof is a low gable style. It has chimneys at each end. The roof trim is decorated.
Inside the House
The inside of the house also looks much like it did when it was built. In 1910, the two marble fireplaces were replaced with brick ones. The floors have been repaired as needed. The basement, which was once the main living area, has been used for different things over time.
On the first floor, the rooms are mostly the same. The original wooden front door is still there. It was changed to have glass panels to let in more light. The staircase is also original. Its main posts look like those in other homes designed by Jacob Haish in DeKalb.
On the east side of the house are three connected rooms. This is a common feature in French Colonial homes. The room next to the porch was the Glidden family's dining room. It has a large brick fireplace. At the end of the hall, near the kitchen, there is a full bathroom.
The western part of the first floor has a large formal living room. It has two entrances. This was the room where Elva Glidden got married. For a while, part of this room was walled off to add a second kitchen. But when the last Glidden family member moved out in 1998, the room was made back into its original large size.
The basement was once the main living area. You can reach it by a staircase from the first floor. One of the basement rooms is the kitchen. This is where Glidden experimented with his coffee grinder and hairpins to invent his barbed wire.
The second floor was mainly for sleeping. It has several simple bedrooms. The upstairs hall once had a door to the roof railing, but that space is now a closet.
Other Buildings
The property has two other important buildings. The barn is where Joseph Glidden invented his famous barbed wire. His invention, called "The Winner," became very popular. Barbed wire was a huge help in settling America.
The other building is the remains of a windmill. Only the foundation is left. It shows how big and impressive the windmill must have been.
The Barn
The Glidden Barn is behind and to the east of the house. For a long time, people thought it was part of the National Register listing. But in the late 1990s, it was discovered that only the house was listed. So, efforts began to add the barn. It officially became part of the National Register in 2002.
The barn was built around 1871. It is made of the same soft brick as the house. The Glidden family believes that Jacob Haish also designed and built the barn. This famous barn is one of the oldest in DeKalb County. It is two stories tall, about 50 feet (15 meters) high and 30 feet (9 meters) wide.
In 2007, the Glidden Homestead and Historical Center started raising money. They want to expand the site to include a museum and media center. Some money will also help restore the barn.
Barn Design
The Glidden barn has a strong frame made of poles and beams. The second floor has two large wooden beams. It is built in a style called "three-bay, English tradition." The west side has space for a staircase to a hayloft and seven stalls. It is made of red brick and sits on a limestone foundation. The barn used local materials, like bricks made nearby and limestone from local quarries.
The east side of the barn has an animal stall and a small office. The hayloft on the second floor is supported by the two big beams. You can get to the loft by a staircase. The barn's roof is a common gable roof, pitched at a 45-degree angle. It was originally covered with wooden shingles, but now has asphalt shingles.
The barn has many windows, which is a bit unusual for barns. There are 14 windows with eight panes each on three sides. On the west side, facing the house, there are seven smaller windows. The main entrances also have arched tops made of bricks.
The Windmill Remains
Only the foundation of the property's windmill is left. It is about ten rows of stone above the ground. You can't see it from Lincoln Highway. The windmill started to fall apart in the 1930s or 40s. We don't know exactly what the windmill was used for.
See also
- Isaac Ellwood
- List of Registered Historic Places in Illinois
