Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 816 S. Hennepin Ave., Dixon, Illinois |
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| 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.
Contents
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
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
