Little Brick House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Little Brick House
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Location | 621 St. Clair St., Vandalia, Illinois |
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Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
Built | c. 1839 |
Architectural style | Italianate |
NRHP reference No. | 73000701 |
Added to NRHP | June 4, 1973 |
The Little Brick House is a special old home in Vandalia, Illinois. It was built a long time ago, around 1839, and looks like homes from the 1860s. This house is the only one in Vandalia that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's officially recognized as an important historical site. It has been on this list since 1973.
History of the Little Brick House
This historic house was likely built in the mid-1800s. It shows off a style called Italianate, which was popular back then. This was even before Vandalia stopped being the capital city of Illinois and the government moved to Springfield.
In 1956, a local artist and historian named Josephine Burtschi bought the house. She was actually born in this very home! Josephine started working to bring the house back to how it looked originally.
Inside the Historic Home
The Little Brick House has six rooms. Inside, you can find furniture, dishes, pictures, and books. These items were collected from the families of important state officials and lawmakers from the past. Some items also came from the Ferdinand Ernst Colony, an early settlement.
The library in the house is called the Berry-Hall Room. It honors two important people. One is James William Berry, a talented artist from Illinois. The other is Judge James Hall, who helped make Vandalia a center for writers and thinkers in the early days of the American West.
Over the years, the Little Brick House has been carefully updated. It now has furniture and items from the time period it represents. You can also see early artifacts from Vandalia's history. Today, the Little Brick House is open for everyone to visit and learn about the past.