ILLINOIS HISTORICAL SURVEY 
 
HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURAL TOUR 
 OF 
 OTTAWA, ILLINOIS 
 
 SPONSORED BY 
 
 FINE ARTS COMMISSION 
 
 OF 
 
 OTTAWA GROWTH FOUNDATION 
 
 xxxxxxx * 
 
 May 28, 1961 Prepared "by: 
 
 Mr. Earl T. Gerding 
 Mr. Edmund B. Thornton 
 
. • « : ■■'•'-. ■ •!.)*-.'■ ' . 
 
*y 2 st l ^nll 
 
 
 "HISTORICAL -ARCHITECTURAL TOUR OF OTTAWA" 
 
 As the final event in its month-long Festival, "Ottawa on 
 Parade/' the Fine Arts Commission of the Ottawa Growth Foundation presents 
 an "Historical -Architectural Tour of Ottawa." 
 
 Covering a span of more than 100 years of Ottawa's history, the 
 Tour will visit structures that were the homes of important statesmen, 
 soldiers, politicians, and other leading men of their day. In some cases, 
 the "buildings themselves stand on their own merit by virtue of the histori- 
 cal events that transpired under their roofs. Particular emphasis will he 
 given the houses and "buildings that date from the years of the Great Rebel- 
 lion and the part their owners played in the violent Civil Conflict. 
 
 Of surprising interest will be the discovery that what appear as 
 some prosaic looking "buildings in this modern age, were, in their own time, 
 magnificent structures of great local repute. So, too, will be the identifica- 
 tion of houses that in an earlier Ottawa commanded generous acreage and magni- 
 ficent views, that are now pinched for turning room and have lost their vista 
 to the encroaching demands of living space for a modern age. Recognition will 
 embrace both the old and the new, and comment will be made on the several ex- 
 amples of successful contemporary architecture in Ottawa. Attention will be 
 given to the date of construction of the structure (if known), the period and 
 style of architecture, the method of construction, and the name of the original 
 builder and owner. In each instance recognition will be made of the generosity 
 and cooperation rendered by the present owners in contributing to the success 
 of the Tour. 
 
 E. B. Thornton 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/historicalarchitOOgerd 
 
1. Reddick 's Library 
 
 This imposing mansion on the corner of Columbus and Lafayette Streets 
 was built by Mr. William Reddick in approximately i860. The architectural features 
 of the house embody details of the Romantic Period of American architecture which 
 draw its inspiration from the Italian Renaissance. The fine stone and brick work 
 is of particular interest as is the detail of the woodwork under the cornice and 
 the eaves. Mr. Reddick was one of the truly colorful characters of Ottawa and 
 La Salle County. He was the County Sheriff, State Senator, a self-made man, and 
 a humanitarian. It is reported that he harbored run-away slaves in his house as 
 a station on the "underground railroad." Reddick was a loyal Democrat who told 
 friends that he "wanted to die under a Democratic president . " He made it by dying 
 March 8, 1885, just four days after Grover Cleveland took office for the first time. 
 As a philanthropist he left the major portions of his estate to the City of Ottawa 
 and La Salle County, specifying that his residence be used as a City Library and do- 
 nating certain lands west of Ottawa as a site for a County Old People's Home. 
 
 2. Appellate Court 
 
 This handsome structure on the east side of Columbus Street and the cor- 
 ner of Lafayette Street is a well-preserved example of Greek Classic Revival archi- 
 tecture. The detail of red brick and Joliet limestone, together with Its well- 
 proportioned Doric columns and handsome pediment, form a harmonious whole worthy of 
 the title "one of Ottawa's most handsome public buildings." The central portion of 
 the structure was constructed in 1857-1860 by the State of Illinois at a cost of 
 $229,600. The wings were added in 1877 when the Appellate Court System was made 
 part of the State Judiciary. Thus, it served as a State Supreme Court, and Appellate 
 Court until about 1897 when the three branches of the Supreme Court at Ottawa, Mt. 
 Vernon, and Springfield were consolidated into one Court at Springfield. Now, as 
 an Appellate Court only, it serves thirty-two Illinois counties as the Court for 
 the 2nd District, 
 
 The Court has also served several social purposes, such as the event 
 in December 1867 when the socialites of Ottawa and Chicago gathered for the wedding 
 reception of the daughter of Judge John Dean Cat on and her Chicago groom. Among 
 the guests for the gala event was Robert T° Lincoln, son of the late president. 
 
 3. Burton C. Cook House 
 
 This large, pretentious mansion at 902 Paul Street, built about 1855; 
 is today seriously altered through the modification of its original roof line. The 
 house is an example of the Romantic Period of American architecture, being a con- 
 glomeration of many architectural details from the French and Italian Renaissance. 
 Mr. Cook was a member of the Illinois State Senate and later became 'a member of 
 Congress. He was accorded the honor of nominating Lincoln for his second term as 
 president on the Union Party ticket in 186^. The present owner of the building is 
 the Paul Street Bible Church. 
 
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k. St amate-Megaf fin-Cheney House 
 
 This little gray house at the corner of Jackson and Paul Streets is 
 one of the oldest residential "buildings remaining in the City of Ottawa- This 
 house was built about 18^0 and is a noteworthy example of the simple utilitarian 
 design of early pioneer houses. The house was floated across the Illinois River 
 from the site of the "Old Town" on the south bank of the Illinois near Fort John- 
 son and was re-erected on its present site., The front porch was added in much 
 later years and was not a portion of the original structure. The house is built 
 on a sloping site with the original dining and kitchen area on the ground floor 
 to the rear. All rooms are quite small with very low ceilings . Popular legend 
 has it that Chief Shabbona, always a friend of the early white settlers, used to 
 pay frequent visits to this little house when paddling down the Fox River in his 
 canoe and sit on the back porch visiting with his white neighbors. 
 
 5- La Salle County Jail 
 
 This great brick and stone structure on the corner of Jackson and 
 Columbus Streets was built about I87O and has served continuously since that time 
 in its present capacity. Of quaint interest is the fact that this may be the only 
 County Jail in the State with a hand-carved walnut rail leading to the second floor, 
 which at one time was the residence of the sheriff. 
 
 6. Old Ottawa Township High School 
 
 This large brick structure at the corner of Lafayette and Columbus 
 Streets, now extensively remodeled and painted gray, was the Ottawa Township High 
 School from 1878 until the present buildings were completed at their new location 
 in 1916. The structure today is used as the headquarters for the La Salle County 
 Farm Bureau. 
 
 7- Old Toll House - Illinois & Michigan Canal 
 
 This small, one-room structure on Columbus Street where it crosses the 
 Illinois & Michigan Canal at one time served as a toll house for the many grain 
 barges that were drawn along the old toll path by mules. The old Canal was dug by 
 hand and most of the work was performed by Irish immigrant laborers who were brought 
 directly West from New York after leaving Ireland during the great famine of the 
 l8^0's and early 1850's. The Canal ran a distance of approximately 85 miles from 
 Peru, Illinois to Chicago. 
 
 8. Lorenzo Leland House 
 
 This large American Gothic structure, perched high among the trees on 
 the North Bluff, commands a magnificent view of the City, and standing on the front 
 steps of the house one may look directly down La Salle Street to the First National 
 Bank of Ottawa of which Mr. Leland was at one time president. This house is pre- 
 sently owned by Mr. H. C. Thornton. 
 
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9- W. H. L. Wallace House - "The Oaks" 
 
 This solid stone residence was started in 1858 "by W. H. L. Wallace 
 and was completed in i860 at a cost of $25,000,, Wallace and his "bride, the 
 daughter of Judge T. Lyle Dickey, furnished their house in a handsome fashion 
 with furniture "brought West from Boston, Massachusetts. The house itself is an 
 example of American Gothic and French Renaissance architecture. Of note are the 
 thick stone walls and its high degree of preservation after 100 years. 
 
 Wallace was a Republican while his father-in-law, Judge T. Lyle Dickey, 
 was a life -long Democrat. As a Lieutenant of Infantry, Wallace fought in the 
 Mexican War of 18U5 « Much like his famous contemporary, Ulysses S. Grant, this 
 military experience was of great value when the Civil War "broke out and all able- 
 bodied men of any military experience were in sore demand. Wallace "became Colonel 
 of the 11th Infantry which was "badly decimated in the assault and capture of Fort 
 Donelson in Tennessee during the Western Campaign in February 1862. Six weeks later 
 Wallace, then a Brigadier General, was mortally wounded in the holocaust at Shilo, 
 Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, and died in a military hospital April 10, 1862. The 
 General was returned to Ottawa and was buried in the private cemetery behind the 
 house which had been set aside for the family by his father-in-law, Judge T. Lyle 
 Dickey. The house is now owned by Mr. Joseph O'Brien. 
 
 10. Judge T. Lyle Dickey House 
 
 This handsome residence, commanding a superb view of the City of Ottawa, 
 was built in 18*1-2 by T. Lyle Dickey, famous Ottawa soldier, jurist, and attorney. 
 The gracious proportions of the house and its lovely setting do honor to the good 
 taste and gracious manner of its owner who was a famous host In the best traditional 
 manner. As a Democrat, Dickey was a political foe of Abraham Lincoln but throughout 
 his whole life the Judge was one of the few close friends that Lincoln ever had. On 
 many occasions when Lincoln was traveling the Illinois Circuit Court he stayed with 
 his old friend in his lovely house here in Ottawa. Charles Dickey, son of the origi- 
 nal owner, in his biography speaks with a schoolboy's candor of "Pa and Abe Lincoln" 
 arguing politics in this famous old house on the Worth Bluff. The Judge's great 
 grandson, Charles Dickey Merrill, Is now on the Supreme Court Bench in the State of 
 Nevada. Charles Dickey himself helped to organize the Territorial Government of 
 Hawaii 70 years ago. The house is now owned by Mrs. Philip S. McDougall and her 
 keen interest and appreciation for its gracious architecture and famous history is 
 responsible for its high state of preservation. 
 
 11. Old Telegraph Manufacturing Factory 
 
 The one-story brick building on La Salle Street now used as an automobile 
 repair shop for W & W Motors was originally the factory in which telegraph instru- 
 ments were made for Judge John Dean Caton. This was one of the early manufacturing 
 enterprises in the Ottawa area and these telegraph instruments were used during the 
 Civil War when they carried news of the Union victories and defeats, Army and Govern- 
 ment orders, all amid the sad messages from the battlefields bringing word of death 
 of men in the Service. 
 
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12. Ottawa Silica Company Office 
 
 This handsome office building at the foot of Lafayette Street facing 
 Boyce Memorial Drive, was "built in 1958 and stands as an excellent example of 
 the adaption of classic Georgian (Williamsburg) architecture to modern, functional 
 use. A conscious effort to maintain authenticity of materials has "been carried 
 out while at the same time embodying the use of modern structural design.. The 
 use of "brick, wood, stone and slate has "been "blended into a harmonious whole to 
 create a building pleasing to the eye and functional in service - Of particular 
 interest is the use of aluminum window and door sashes and the replacing of heavy 
 stone lintels by light-weight steel beams . 
 
 13 » Ottawa Avenue Memorial Arch 
 
 Located at the end of Ottawa Avenue and the intersection of Boyce Mem- 
 orial Drive, this pleasing arch is a pure example of the classic Roman Doric style. 
 Of particular interest are the structural properties of this arch, which in its 
 authentic construction would have been built of cut stone, but in fact this modern 
 replica is constructed of reinforced concrete. The arch was built in 1918 as a 
 memorial to the early pioneers of Ottawa of a century before. 
 
 1^. Edward Swift House 
 
 This massive, red brick house at 1355 Ottawa Avenue was built by Mr. 
 Edward Swift in the depths of the financial panic of 1893 The house itself is 
 an adaptation of the French chateau and Romanesque style . All of the timbers and 
 flooring came from the Sanders Mill in Ottawa, and as was the fashion of the day, 
 much of the interior is handsomely done in solid golden oak. Mr. Swift was a lead- 
 ing citizen of Ottawa for many years and was active in the financial, commercial 
 and agricultural affairs of La Salle County. The house is now owned by his daughter, 
 Miss Suzanne G. Swift. 
 
 15. John F. Nash House - "Cottage Home" 
 
 This lovely house at 1333 Ottawa Avenue was built in the 1850's during 
 the height of the Classic Revival in American architecture. Of particular interest 
 are the pleasing proportions of the house with its well balanced fascade and wings. 
 An indication of the skill with which this house was designed is the subtle treat- 
 ment of the second story which has been placed to the rear of the structure and is 
 not readily discernible from its street view. The house was purchased by Mr. John 
 Fiske Nash from Mr. George Fisher, March 25, 1857° During the Civil War this house 
 served as a temporary hospital for soldiers who had taken ill at Camp Cushman which 
 was located about a mile west of the City. Mr. Nash was a very prominent citizen 
 of early Ottawa and was the gentleman who introduced Abraham Lincoln when he debated 
 with Douglas in Ottawa in 1858. 
 
 Of additional historical interest concerning the original owner and 
 builder of the house, Mr. George Fisher, is the fact that when Fisher sold the house 
 to Mr. Nash he moved to the Pacific Coast and supported Lincoln for president in 
 i860. As a political reward he was named United States Consul to Kanagawa, Japan 
 in 1862. The present owner is Mr. James Renwick. 
 
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l6. William Hickling House 
 
 This house, at the corner of Illinois Avenue and Benton Street, was 
 "built "by Mr. William Hickling in 185^ on land purchased from the estate of Mr. 
 David Walker of Ottawa,, Of particular interest is that Walker originally bought 
 the land from the State of Illinois in 1833, a tract of 90 acres, for $112-50. 
 William Hickling was the first mayor of Ottawa, The house is presently owned "by 
 William C. Kucher. 
 
 17. La Salle County Court House 
 
 Built of Joliet limestone, this large public building stands on the 
 site of several earlier Court Houses which saw many famous men troop in and out 
 on business of all kinds. These included such figures as Abraham Lincoln, Steven 
 A. Douglas, Judge John Dean Caton and many other well-known men of the day. The 
 present structure may be called an architectural adaptation of the Renaissance and 
 Romanesque Periods. The cornerstone was laid July k, l88l amid nation-wide gloom 
 because President James A. Garfield had been mortally wounded on July 2 and his 
 death was inevitable after a week of agony. The cost of this original stone build- 
 ing was $127,127.0^. The building was dedicated in lQ8k. 
 
 18. Zimmerman's Barbershop - Court Street 
 
 This small wooden structure, sandwiched in between larger brick build- 
 ings, is one of the last remnants of a simple utilitarian style of architecture 
 that was prevalent throughout much of downtown Ottawa during the time of the Civil 
 War. Of particular interest is its slanting tin roof and diminutive second-story 
 windows . 
 
 19. Dr. J. 0. Harris House 
 
 This little house at 527 East Main Street bears little resemblance to 
 its original appearance. It has been covered in brick which hides its original 
 clapboard construction. Its sole remaining architectural features which hint at 
 its early date of construction are the tall, vertical windows on the ground floor 
 and its particular location, set well back from the street. Originally this was 
 the home of Dr. J. 0. Harris who was the regimental surgeon for the 53**d Illinois 
 Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Harris later helped found the First Building and Loan 
 Association in Illinois in 1871. The present owner is Mr. Glen Harris. 
 
 20. Washington Bushnell House 
 
 This enormous house at 622 East Pearl Street, built in 1872, was the 
 home of one of Ottawa's leading political figures in the latter half of the 19th 
 Century. Taking its inspiration from the French Renaissance, this magnificent 
 pile was one of the show-places of Ottawa with Its ornate detail, three-story 
 tower and spacious grounds which included a large stable and carriage house to 
 the rear, facing on Chapel Street, and now used as apartments. The house origi- 
 nally had 33 rooms, 6-l/2 baths, with Q'k" ceilings. Bushnell was State Senator 
 and later Attorney General of Illinois . He is credited with hacking the first 
 law in the United States which gave women equal property rights. The present 
 owner is Mrs. Anita Connellee. 
 
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21. M. H. Hollister House 
 
 This large, square "brick house at 804 Chapel Street stands on the 
 site of an earlier house whose original deed goes "back to 183^- • The present 
 house is a conglomeration of the Romantic Period of American architecture em- 
 bodying details from the Italian Renaissance and Romanesque Periods- The pres- 
 ent house was started "by Mr. M. H. Hollister who had served some time in the 
 Mexican War of 18^5 and tradition has it that he named this new house Montezuma, 
 after a famous battle of that War. Hollister later sold the house to Colonel W. 
 H. W. Cushman, famous resident of Ottawa, who lent his name to the Civil War en- 
 campment established west of Ottawa near the Village of Naplate. Hollister was 
 made U. S. Minister to the Argentine and after the Civil War gave up this post 
 of prestige to go to the wilds of Idaho and become Chief Justice of the Idaho ter- 
 ritory. The present owner is Doris Wagner- 
 
 22. John Manley House 
 
 This large, square brick house at 6K0 Chapel Street dates from about 
 lQ6k when it was built by Mr. John Manley, the maternal grandfather of Mr. John 
 Jordan of Ottawa. The house was conceived and built in the grand manner, embodying 
 architectural details of the American Renaissance Period of architecture. There is 
 a large ballroom on the third floor and a comparison of the windows and frieze under 
 the eaves with that on the Sushnell House Indicates that this was the popular style 
 of the day. The present owner of this house is Mr. Vernon K. Bellrose. 
 
 23. Thorsen-Fleury House 
 
 This lovely white residence at 602 Chapel Street, done In the pleasing 
 style of the American Southern Colonial Period, is an adaptation of the classic 
 form. Built on a sloping site, the dining and kitchen areas are located on the 
 ground floor to the rear. The bedrooms and living space are all on the single 
 upper floor. The house was built between the years 185^ and 1857 i n what Was then 
 known as Green's Addition. Originally begun by a Mr. Thorsen, it was completed by 
 Mr. Fleury. In 1857 Mr. Charles H. Gilman moved from Mendota with his family and 
 took residence in this house, at the time having been elected County Judge of 
 La Salle County. 
 
 In July l86l Mr. David A. Cook, then a student at Northwestern Universi- 
 ty and later to become the son-in-law of Mr. Gilman,, left the University and re- 
 turned to Ottawa joining the 12th Illinois Volunteer Infantry as a private. He 
 fought with this regiment through its several campaigns and was severely wounded 
 at the battle of Shilo in the Spring of 1862. Because of his wound he did not re- 
 turn to his regiment until the Fall of that year. Upon rejoining his regiment he 
 fought through the battle of Corinth where he was again wounded. As a private he 
 rose through the ranks and was eventually mustered out of Service as a First Lieut- 
 enant. Mr. Cook returned to Ottawa and settled in the house at 602 Chapel Street 
 which has remained in his family until this day. This house is presently owned by 
 Mrs. Harry G. Cook. 
 
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2h. Osman House 
 
 Built by Jeremiah Strawn, this handsome red brick house at 532 
 Congress Street with its huff stone trim and high vertical pilasters stands as 
 a well-preserved example of modified Georgian style with certain Italianate 
 Renaissance detail. Bricks for this house were "brought to Ottawa by barge on 
 the Illinois & Michigan Canal. The house Is presently owned by Mr. John Paleo- 
 logos. 
 
 25. John Hossack House 
 
 One of Ottawa's most beautiful houses Is located on the south bank of 
 the Illinois River overlooking the city- The magnificent natural setting of this 
 house and its well conceived and successfully executed architecture reserve for it 
 a place as one of the outstanding landmarks of Illinois « The house was built about 
 185^ by John Hossack, Scottish-born Ottawan, who came to the City by way of Chicago 
 where he had done contracting work on the Illinois & Michigan Canal. The house it- 
 self is a remarkably pure example of the American Colonial style of architecture 
 which one sees so handsomely executed in some of our Southern and seaboard states. 
 The house derives much of its detail and pleasing proportion from a conscious ad- 
 herence to the classic tradition. Of particular interest are the full two-story 
 columns at the front of the house which lend an air of elegance and formal tension 
 as they rise against the horizontal lines of the gallery and roof. 
 
 The builder of this lovely house, Mr. John Hossack, was engaged in the 
 lumber business and in the grain trade in Ottawa and was instrumental in the build- 
 ing of the first Illinois River Bridge.. Hossack hated slavery and hid many fleeing 
 slaves in his house as a station on the underground railway until they could be 
 spirited to the next station. At that time, before i860, such humanitarians were 
 in double jeopardy for violation of the Federal Fugitive Slave Act and the infamous 
 Illinois "Black Laws" which forbade most Negroes to live within the State. In i860, 
 Hossack and other Ottawans were convicted In Federal Court In Chicago for violation 
 of the Fugitive Slave Law in a famous case involving Jim Gray, a Negro who had 
 reached Ottawa after fleeing slavery in a Southern state . The fugitive was "kid- 
 napped" from a courtroom in Ottawa and sped on his way to freedom in Canada. The 
 house is now the property of Mr. Philip H. Godfrey. 
 
 26. 101 West Allen Street 
 
 This successful contemporary residence embodies some of the important 
 qualities of a private house set down amidst the crowded living space of an es- 
 tablished residential area. The house Is of light frame construction with a flat, 
 built-up roof and all main living and sleeping rooms of the house face inward, 
 away from the street for privacy. The conscious choice given to the placement of 
 the house insures privacy for a warm, well-lighted Interior by virtue of its 
 southern exposure. This house was designed by Mr. Earl T. Gerding, its owner. 
 
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27- McKinley School 
 
 The stop at this location is prompted by the desire to point out the 
 architectural and structural features of a contemporary institutional "building. 
 The interesting thing to note at this location is the choice of materials and 
 the method of construction used in contemporary institutional architecture . Par- 
 ticular attention is drawn to the light steel framing which in an earlier time 
 would have "been made of heavy wooden "beams and would have required larger and 
 more massive perpendicular supports, ail of which would detract from the feeling 
 of lightness. 
 
 28. Trinity Lutheran Church 
 
 This striking building is a particularly successful example of con- 
 temporary church architecture. Here a departure from traditional form has given 
 an exciting thrust and tension by the bold use of the acute angle and the vertical 
 line. So, too, do we find a soft mellowing of the whole through the use of rough- 
 cut limestone and wood. Piercing the walls are large windows of transluscent glass 
 bound "by metal window divisions replacing the traditional use of stone tracery. 
 The conscious use of the symbolism of the Trinity is used throughout the "building 
 in the many triangular shapes both in minute detail and in the interior framing of 
 the nave. 
 

 m 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 
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