Little Brick House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Little Brick House
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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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's in Fayette County. This house was built around the 1860s. It shows what a middle-class home looked like back then. It is the only house in Vandalia that is on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important historical site. It has been on this list since 1973.
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History of the Little Brick House
When Was the House Built?
The Little Brick House was likely built in the mid-1800s. It is a good example of Italianate architecture. This style was popular at the time. The house was probably finished around 1839. This was before Vandalia stopped being the state capital. The capital later moved to Springfield.
Who Restored the House?
In 1956, a woman named Josephine Burtschi bought the house. She was an artist and a historian from the area. Josephine was actually born in this very house! She started working to make the house look like it did originally. Her goal was to bring back its old charm.
What Can You See Inside?
The Little Brick House has six rooms. Inside, you can find furniture, dishes, and old pictures. There are also books that belonged to important people. These items came from the families of state officers and lawmakers. They also came from the Ferdinand Ernst Colony.
The Berry-Hall Room
One special room in the house is the library. It is called the Berry-Hall Room. This room honors two important people. One was James William Berry, a talented artist from Illinois. The other was Judge James Hall. Judge Hall helped make Vandalia a center for writers. He called it "the first literary center west of Cincinnati."
Visiting the House Today
Over the years, the house has been updated. It now has furniture and items from the time it was built. These are called "period furnishings." You can also see early items from Vandalia's history. Today, the Little Brick House is open for everyone to visit. It helps people learn about the past.
