DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — The Governor Richard J. Oglesby Mansion located at 421 West William Street will be hosting two Open Houses this month.
Oglesby served three non-consecutive terms as Illinois Governor and was a close friend of Abraham Lincoln.
On Saturday, August 26 and on Sunday, August 27, the mansion will be open from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for tours. A $2 donation is requested. The home is also open the last Sunday of each month from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. through November.
The Board of Directors say that the mansion was built in 1875-76 with the original plans by famed Chicago architect William LeBaron Jenney, who is known for designing the first modern skyscraper. Oglebsy modified the plans and hired a local contractor for the build.
Original oak and walnut flooring in the Governor Richard J. Oglesby Mansion.
Numerous craftsmen worked diligently to complete the elegant such details as the oak and walnut flooring which is still in place today.
The home is Italianate Style architecture with a low pitched roof and a “widow’s walk.”
Purchased by the Conservation District in 1972, numerous improvements were made to the exterior of the home as a core group of local women led the restoration of the interior. Local craftsman, Monte Hall of Elwin, IL, was able to replicate a walnut mantle in the parlor that was no longer there.
More information about the Mansion is available at oglesbymansion.org.
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