Houses in Sycamore Historic District
Many of these include homes within the boundaries of the district that are architecturally or historically significant but are commonly known only by their street address.
The two-story Italianate home at 314 S. Main Street is another example of a contributing property in the Sycamore Historic District that is known only by its address.
The house at 312 Somonauk Street is an example of Italianate architecture, it is a nameless contributor to the district's historic nature.
On the other side of the street, the house at 413 Somonauk is an example of the American Foursquare style of domestic architecture.
[1] Byers eventually served two terms in the Illinois state legislature, though before he held that office he was active in DeKalb County politics.
Byers' youngest daughter, Jane, married native German Johannes (John) Faissler.
[3] Besides the military Smith was elected treasurer in DeKalb County, little is known about him other than the fact that he designed his home in the 200 block of Sycamore's Somonauk Street.
Partridge was an attorney who began his legal career in the DeKalb County city of Sandwich, Illinois.
[2] Whittemore was politically active, after he left hired government work, both locally and at the state level.
[2] At the turn of the 20th century he headed up the building committee which oversaw the construction of the third, and current, DeKalb County Courthouse, another notable historic district structure.
[4] The property the house stands on today was part of the original 80 acres (320,000 m2) purchased by Ellzey P. Young from the United States government by an act of Congress.
He practiced law with Harvey A. Jones and eventually held the posts of circuit and county judge.
The David DeGraff House, in the 900 block of Somonauk Street is just within the boundaries of the Sycamore Historic District.
This large, two-story Italianate home is considered a contributing property by the National Register of Historic Places.
[8] Elmore Cooper opened Sycamore's first gas station in 1898, it was located across the street from the DeKalb County Courthouse on Illinois Route 64.
It stands next door to the Chauncey Ellwood House and is a contributing property in the Sycamore Historic District.
[9] The Floyd E. Brower House is another of the historic homes in the DeKalb County, Illinois, city of Sycamore.
Daniel Dustin served in the United States Army and accompanied General William Tecumseh Sherman on his "grand march to the sea" during the American Civil War.
In Sycamore Dustin settled in the California Street home and made a living as a merchant, working with James E. Ellwood in the sale of medicines.
[11] This simple I-house home was constructed in 1847 for early Sycamore settler and, later, elected official Ellzey P. Young.
It is believed that Eleanor Roosevelt once stayed in the home during a visit to nearby Northern Illinois University, in DeKalb.
[12] Young had the home built and later George S. Robinson, a prominent local attorney and county judge, lived in the residence.
It features a veranda, though not original, which winds from the front door, around the building, to the secondary entrance on the home's south side.
[12] The property the house stands on today was part of the original 80 acres (320,000 m2) purchased by Ellzey P. Young from the United States government by an act of Congress.
Incorporating elements of the Prairie School, pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright, and American Craftsman styles the two-and-a-half-story house exhibits the classic boxy shape, a mostly hipped roof, and a central dormer.
The festival essentially started as Thurow's personal Halloween celebration; he filled his lawn with decorated pumpkins.
[4] McAllister was a successful dry goods dealer whose longtime business in the Daniel Pierce Building evolved into the later Henderson's Department Store in downtown Sycamore.
[8] It stands in the 400 block of South Main Street in Sycamore is designed in a mostly Gothic Revival style.
[9] The Charles O. Boynton House is an 1887 Queen Anne style home which stands along Main Street, north of the DeKalb County Courthouse.
[20] Along Somonauk Street is another of the district's elegant examples of Queen Anne architecture, the David Syme House.
