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Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home
Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home (8030104930).jpg
Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home is located in Illinois
Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home
Location in Illinois
Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home is located in the United States
Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home
Location in the United States
Location 816 S. Hennepin Ave., Dixon, Illinois
Area less than one acre
Built 1891
Architectural style Queen Anne
NRHP reference No. 82002580
Added to NRHP March 26, 1982

The Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home is a special house in Dixon, Illinois. It's where Ronald Reagan, who later became the 40th President of the United States, lived when he was a boy. He moved into this house in 1920. This historic home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Today, you can visit the home from April to October to learn more about Reagan's early life.

History of the Home

Building the House

The Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home was built in Dixon, Illinois, in 1891. It was designed in a common style for houses back then. The first owners were William C. and Susan Thompson. The house was sold in 1917.

Reagan Family's Time

The most important time for the house was between 1920 and 1923, when the Reagan family lived there. Later, in August 1980, a group of local people bought the home. They called themselves the Reagan Home Preservation and Restoration Committee. Their goal was to save and restore the house.

Becoming a Historic Site

Today, the home is open to the public and managed by the Young America's Foundation. In 2002, a law was passed that allowed the United States Secretary of the Interior to buy the property. The idea was to make it a U.S. National Historic Site managed by the National Park Service (NPS).

The group that first owned the home, the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home Foundation, was proud that they didn't take money from the government. This was in line with Ronald Reagan's belief that "government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem." However, by 2019, fewer people were visiting, and the house started to need a lot of repairs.

In 2018, the foundation offered to sell the home to the National Park Service. But in December 2020, the foundation gave the home to the Young America's Foundation. This group also takes care of Reagan's Rancho del Cielo in Santa Barbara, California. They continue to protect and preserve the boyhood home.

House Design and Style

The house built in 1891 is in the popular Queen Anne style. It has two stories and sits on a strong stone foundation. The roof is a gable roof, which means it has two sloping sides that meet at a ridge. It was originally covered with cedar shingles.

Why the Home is Important

National Register Listing

The Reagan Boyhood Home is very important because it was the home of Ronald Reagan, who became the 40th U.S. President. He and his family lived here from late 1920 until 1923. Ronald was nine years old and in grade school during this time. Even though his family moved from this specific house, they stayed in Dixon for many of his growing-up years. Because of its connection to Reagan and its importance in politics, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 26, 1982.

Reagan's Time in the House

President Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, and Neil Reagan Outside The Reagan Boyhood Home in Dixon, Illinois
Ronald, Nancy, and Neil Reagan outside the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home, 1984

Ronald Reagan himself said that this house was connected to important events from his childhood. However, his brother, Neil Reagan, once said that this particular house wasn't the one Ronald remembered most from Dixon. Some people have pointed out that the Reagans moved often and only lived in this house for about two years.

While living in the home, Ronald and his brother Neil shared a bedroom on the second floor. Even though the house had three bedrooms, their mother used the third one as a work room. Outside, there was a small building where the brothers did things like raise rabbits. In the side yard of the house, Ronald and Neil would play pick-up football games with friends.

See also

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