Geneva History Museum to host historic home tour
The Geneva History Museum is hosting a historic home tour of four houses and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in the downtown historic district, providing a rare opportunity to walk through these structures.
The tour will run from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 20. Homes on the tour are at 601 South St., 201 Ford St., 227 N. Third St. and 522 Fulton St., according to a news release.
The home at 601 South St. was built in 1871 by Peter Kearney, who purchased the entire block for $800 in 1870.
The home at 201 Ford St. was built in 1854 by carpenter John J. Chambers, who came to Geneva from New England. The house was sold to John and Ella Green in 1868.
Chambers was a general ticket agent for the Northern Transportation Company, a justice of the peace and Geneva’s village president in 1883.
The house at 227 N. Third St. was built in 1854 for Jason and Lydia House. Jason House was a blacksmith and Civil War veteran. He served as a private in the Iowa 32nd Infantry Regiment. Lydia House was a teacher.
The house at 522 Fulton St. was built in 1907 for William and Bessie Cannon. It is an example of a shingle style home, a distinctly American type of construction.
Anecdotal evidence points to John Wheeler as the contractor. The John Wheeler Construction Company was incorporated in Geneva in 1905, and John’s brother-in-law, William Cannon, was listed as vice-president.
During recent renovations, the current owners found “J. W. C. CO. GENEVA IL” stamped on some of the salvaged oak flooring.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 320 Franklin St., dates back to Geneva’s first settlers, Charity and James Herrington.
The chapel at St. Mark’s was built in 1868 and designed at the height of the Gothic Revival architecture’s popularity. It represents one of the purest expressions of the form to be found in Geneva.
The church is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Registration costs $45 per person. You can register online at GenevaHistoryMuseum.org, at the museum, 113 S. Third St., Geneva, or by calling (630) 232-4951.
Tickets can be picked up from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the day of the tour.
State Street Jewelers, Chris Wallace, Julie Goodyear and Jen Rasmussen, all of @properties, are sponsors.
All proceeds benefit the Geneva History Museum. More information is available at GenevaHistoryMuseum.org.