Owen Lovejoy House facts for kids
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Owen Lovejoy Homestead
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Owen Lovejoy Homestead, c. 1905
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | Peru St. (U.S. Route 6), Princeton, Illinois |
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| Built | 1838 |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000690 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 24, 1973 |
| Designated NHL | February 18, 1997 |
The Owen Lovejoy House is a special old house in Princeton, Illinois. It was built in 1838. For many years, it was the home of Owen Lovejoy (1811–1864). He was an important person who worked to end slavery. He was also a congressman, which means he was a leader in the government.
Owen Lovejoy was the brother of Elijah Lovejoy, who also worked to end slavery. Owen Lovejoy openly helped people escape slavery. He was part of a secret network called the Underground Railroad. His house even has a hidden room where people could hide. In 1997, this house was recognized as a National Historic Landmark. Today, you can visit it for tours during certain times of the year.
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Exploring the Owen Lovejoy House
The Owen Lovejoy House is located in Princeton, Illinois. It is a one-and-a-half-story wooden house. It has a pointed roof and a classic American style. A porch with a sloped roof covers the front left side. This porch also wraps around the left side of the house.
Secret Hiding Place
At the back of the house, there is a special section. On the second floor, there is an attic space. People believe this space was used to hide people escaping slavery. It is a triangular room along the back of the main house. The way the walls are built around the back staircase hides this room. It seems this space was made on purpose. It would not be easy to use it for regular storage.
History of the Lovejoy Home
The main part of the house was built in 1835. A man named Butler Denham built it. He had bought the land the year before. The house was made bigger soon after. It was expanded again around 1850. Butler Denham was from Massachusetts. He farmed on this land and passed away in 1841.
Owen Lovejoy's Life and Work
Butler Denham's wife, Eunice, later married Owen Lovejoy. Owen Lovejoy was a strong voice against slavery. He was a lawyer from Maine. Lovejoy was a key organizer of efforts to end slavery in Illinois. He also helped start the Republican Party in Illinois in 1854. He worked with Abraham Lincoln to do this.
Owen Lovejoy was very open about helping people escape slavery. He would talk about it in his speeches. He even spoke about it in the United States Congress.
The House as a Museum
The Lovejoy family owned the house until 1931. Then, it was sold to a couple. They tried to fix it up and open it as a museum. However, their plan did not work out. The house then started to fall into disrepair.
In 1971, the city bought the house. Over the next year, it was fully repaired. Since then, the city has run it as a history museum. It helps people learn about Owen Lovejoy and the fight against slavery.
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