Paul W. Dillon Home facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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The Dillon Home
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The back of the Dillon Home
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| Location | Sterling, Illinois |
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| Built | 1857 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 80001417 |
| Added to NRHP | October 9, 1980 |
The Paul W. Dillon Home, also known as the Dillon Home, is a historic house in Sterling, Illinois. It was once the home of P.W. Dillon, a successful businessman. He was the president of the Northwestern Steel & Wire Company for many years. This special home was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 9, 1980. This means it's recognized as an important place in history.
History of the Dillon Home
The land where the Dillon Home stands had many owners over time. The house itself was built in 1858. It is a beautiful Victorian-style home. It was designed in a special way called the Italianate style. This style often includes features like wide eaves, tall windows, and decorative brackets.
P.W. Dillon's father, Washington M. Dillon, bought the house. Later, P.W. Dillon inherited it after his father passed away.
In 1904, P.W. Dillon married Lucretia (Crete) Blackman Dillon. They raised their three children in this very house, which was P.W.'s childhood home. To make more room for their growing family, P.W. made some changes. He replaced a small porch with a much larger, two-story enclosed porch. Another porch was also enclosed. The only other big change was an elevator added in 1972.
The home looks grand because P.W.'s wife, Crete, loved to travel. She collected many unique items and old-fashioned furniture from different times.
P.W. and Crete lived in the home for 50 years. Crete passed away in 1970. Ten years later, P.W. also passed away in the same house where he was born.
What makes the Dillon Home special is that it still has all its original furniture and belongings. After P.W. Dillon passed away in 1980, the house and land were given to the Sterling Park District.
The Dillon Home opened to the public as a museum on November 18, 1980. Visitors can now explore the house and see how the Dillon family lived.
A year after the home became a museum, a special train engine was moved to the south lawn. It is called the Baldwin Steam Engine #73. This engine used to work at Northwestern Steel & Wire. It was the very last working steam engine in the United States used in a factory setting.
