Mr. and Mrs. Bela Hunt Welcome Guests to Historic Dunham-Hunt House in St. Charles, IL

"Mr. and Mrs. Bela T. Hunt" greeted visitors to their home--which is the first brick dwelling to have been built in St. Charles--for an open house tour at 304 Cedar Avenue on Thursday, September 6, 2012.  Bela T. Hunt arrived in St. Charles 176 years ago this month at the age of 23.

B.T. Hunt purchased site unseen half the interest in a town site called Charleston--which St. Charles was named until 1839--as well as half interest in the water rights, power mill, and company store from his brother's employee who had recently returned from a trip in Chicago.  The employee had met Ira Minard when Minard was working in a hotel in Chicago.  B.T. Hunt was instrumental in establishing the new town along with Minard and Ferson.  The men formed a company called Minard, Ferson and Hunt which continued until the deaths of Ira Minard in 1867 at the age of 67, and Read Ferson in 1865, at the age of 56. 

Not only is B.T. Hunt credited with having built the first brick dwelling in St. Charles, circa 1841, but he also is credited with building the first frame building in the town circa 1836--the company store--along with his partners Ferson and Minard.  This was the same year they also completed the dam.  In 1837 B.T. Hunt purchased the interests of David Howard and Nathan Collins small hotel.  He added to the hotel and reopened it on July 4, 1838 with the first ball to be held in the new town.  On March 21, 1838, the first election in Charleston took place in this same hotel.  B.T. Hunt eventually traded the hotel for land in DuPage County with Daniel Clark.

B.T. Hunt erected two commercial buildings in downtown between 1838 and 1839 and established a mercantile business of his own in 1838.  The Chicago Directory listed him has having a business of feather beds and mattresses on South Water Street.  He also operated a tannery, paper mill, and hardware business--the most prosperous of them being the paper mill.  In 1845 the mill was erected and said to be the first of its kind northwest of the Ohio River.  The company was known as Hunt, Butler and Hunt in 1846.  The mill on the east side of the river was enlarged and improved and a second mill built on the west side of the river in 1847 which then burned in 1856.  The mill was rebuilt even larger and employed 80 people.

B.T. Hunt also built a tannery on the east side of the river and operated it until 1861.  Hunt's occupation was listed as a harness manufacturer in The Kane County Directory of 1859-60.  Hunt's endeavors also took him to Chicago where he operated a shoe business on Lake Street.  Hunt also operated a hardware business from 1858-1890 and was listed as being in hardware, stoves and tinware as well as a farmer with 147-1/2 acres in The Kane County Gazetteer and Directory of 188-1890.  

B.T. Hunt married Harriet Lathorp on October 12, 2012.  She was a direct descendant of William Bradley, a Mayflower pilgrim--sixth generation  Together they had four sons, Charles L., Frank B., Clarence T., and Wilber C.  Charles died in 1857 at the age of 13.  Frank served as Mayor of St. Charles from 1881-1885, 1899-1905, and 1907-1911.

Harriet passed away on June 10, 1904, at the age of 82.  Bela T. Hunt passed away on October 23, 1908, at the age of 96.  Ellie Hunt, Bela and Harriet's granddaughter, continued to live in the family home up until 1980 when she moved out at the age of 100.  Ellie passed away on June 30, 1982, 1-1/2 months from her 103rd birthday.  The Hunt's were the only family to occupy this home as the home was purchased by Jane Dunham and converted into a museum in 1980.

{This information was compiled from the National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form and Reflections of St. Charles.}

Marian Boveri, Real Estate Consultant
Specializing in Historic Homes
Keller Williams Fox Valley Realty, St. Charles, IL

www.ThisLooksLikeHome.com

Until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

(An old Irish blessing)

Historic National and Local Landmark Dunham-Hunt House in St. Charles, IL

The story begins...

sometime around 1841.  The Dunham-Hunt house is said to be the oldest brick residence in St. Charles.  In the book, Past and Present of Kane County 1878, it states:  "In 1841 the first brick dwelling in the place was built by B.T. Hunt from a kiln of brick manufactured by John Penny in the public square, upon the East side."  The Penny Brickyard was located at what is now the corner of Main Street and Fifth Avenue.  The property is currently owned by the City of St. Charles and is both a National and Local Historic Landmark property.

Bela T. Hunt arrived in St. Charles in September 1836 to a village of 20-25 acres in size.   Seeing the opportunity to grow the new settlement, a company under the name of Minard, Ferson & Hunt was formed in that same year.  The company then went on to purchase another 200 acres which was used to lay the foundation of the new town then called Charleston.  B.T. Hunt is considered to be one of the foremost men to have built up the town and early enterprises.    

A store built in the following spring was the first frame building in Charleston.  In that same year a dam was built across the river and a saw mill was erected on the East side--both credited to the Minard, Ferson & Hunt company as having built the same.  The earliest hotel had been built around this same time and changed hands a few times before B.T. Hunt purchased it.  A tavern in the building is said to have been completed by B.T. Hunt and dedicated on the 4th of July 1838 by holding the first public ball in the town.  In 1839, the name St. Charles was adopted by the town when it was discovered that another town by the name of Charleston had already been established in Illinois.

In 1841, B.T. Hunt was elected the first Kane County Treasurer.  B.T. Hunt married Harriet L. Lathrop on October 12, 1842.  B.T. Hunt was 30 and she was 20.  Together they had four boys, Charles L., Frank B., Clarence T., and Wilbur C.  Charles L. having died in 1857.  Their son, Frank B. Hunt, was the third mayor of St. Charles and served from 1881-1885, then 1899-1905, and again 1907-1911.  He lived with his family along with his father and mother in this same house.  Wilbur C. Hunt was the city's attorney and his son, Edwin H. Hunt was the 11th mayor of St. Charles having run against his uncle Frank B. Hunt and winning.  He served from 1911-1921. 

The house is built in the Greek Revival Style evidenced by the simple, rectangular plan, front facing gable, and strong gable roof.  The front door has classic Greek Revival features with doors, sidelights, and transom.  The wide band of trim emphasizing the cornice line of the main roof is another common element found in Greek Revival architecture.  The windows are 6 over 6 paned glass, typical of Greek Revival styling, some being original to the home. 

The Greek Revival style is an adaptation of the classic Greek temple.  To the popular mind, the Greek temple was associated with American democracy origins in ancient Greece.  Further, Greece’s involvement in a war for independence (1821-1830) aroused sympathy in the newly independent United States.  In addition, the War of 1812 fought against England diminished American affection for British influence including the still dominant Federal style of domestic architecture. 

Members of the Hunt family continued to live in the house until it was purchased by Jane Dunham from Wayne in July of 1980 and opened the museum officially on December 6 of the same year.  Jane Dunham lovingly restored the house as it reminded her of the home built in Wayne by her great-grandfather Solomon Hunt, which is now the Dunham-Hunt Riding Club.  Jane was a descendant of Lorenzo Ward on her mother's side.  Lorenzo Ward was a pioneer family in the early days of St. Charles.  In conjunction with The St. Charles historical Society, she restored the Hunt House and opened the Dunham-Hunt museum with full intention of handing over the same to St. Charles to continue to operate as a museum.  She brought in family artifacts and put them on display bringing 1870's furniture from the Dunham Castle.  She was integral in getting the house to receive its National Historic Landmark status in 1982.  The house was turned over to the City of St. Charles in 1986 and continued to operate as a museum under Jane's direction until her death in 1995.  The museum was opened again in 1998 and run by the St. Charles Heritage Center until its closing in 2010.  The property has been vacant since.    

For more about the history of this home please join me for a Wine and Cheese Reception at "The Office", 201 East Main St., St. Charles, IL, beginning at 5:30 p.m. followed by Presentations including the History of the Dunham-Hunt House and Tax Credits for Landmark Properties:  Residential and Commercial.  The evening will commence with a Open House Tour at the Dunham Hunt House, 304 Cedar Avenue, St. Charles, IL

This property is currently listed at $199,900 and in need of restoration.  It has a mixed-use zoning of CBD-2 which allows for residential as well as commercial use.

This Looks Like Home!

For more information about this home contact:

Marian Boveri, Historic Homes Specialist

Keller Williams Fox Valley Realty, 847-308-2424

www.ThisLooksLikeHome.com

Until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

(An old Irish blessing)

  

Home of First Italian Settler in Geneva, IL

The story begins...

sometime in 1872.  This property itself was originally part of a 160-acre parcel of land owned by F. Stratton and registered with the U.S. Government on June 6, 1842.  Due to later subdivision and holding of this property by various investors, it is difficult to determine the exact occupants of the home throughout its early history.  However, a name that shows up in the chain of title, Joseph Payson, is found to have taken out a mortgage on a section of the acreage on November 5, 1856, which was released on August 30, 1872.  This release coincides with the 1872 build date as recorded at the Assessor’s office.  So, it is possible that Joseph Payson was the original builder of the home as the Geneva History Center indicated that the names showing on the title in 1867-1879 were more than likely investors.   What is known for certain is that on August 10, 1892, a 20-acre parcel including this property was subdivided from a 39-acre parcel into Cheevers Subdivision and that Guiseppe, aka Joseph, Rabella and his wife, Aldwena, purchased the lots containing the home on August 19, 1901.  

Mrs. and Mrs. Rabella were Italian and when Joseph passed away in October of 1919, his obituary headline said he was the “Oldest Italian Citizen” and “said to have been one of the first Italians to make a home in Geneva”  He was known to be a “quiet and steady laborer” who had worked for the City of Geneva.  His wife continued to reside at the property and eventually remarried Toni LaVendi, who was employed by the C&NW Railroad.  Although Geneva is known for its Swedish settlers, many do not realize that Italians numbered almost as many as the Swedes in the early 1900s.  In fact, many of the Italians grew grapes in the area.  Interestingly, on April 1, 1903, Mr. and Mrs. Rabella purchased lots 25-29 which would be the present-day lot directly to the south.  One can imagine that the purchase was to utilize the land for growing grapes as ancestors of the Rabella’s stopped by and told the present-day owners, Lee and Janice Faulkner, that their family had lived there and had grown grapes on the land.

Architecturally speaking, the home is a “Gable Front and Wing” which is also referred to as “Upright and Wing” or “Temple and Wing” and is considered to be an American vernacular style.  Vernacular architecture reflects local needs, materials available, and local traditions.  The Gable Front and Wing is a descendant of the Greek revival style but without ornamentation.  This architectural form was originally built for the middle class and generally designed and built by tradesmen as opposed to the homeowner.  It was a popular style for most of the 19th century particularly during 1830 to 1890.  This Gable Front and Wing is an L-design which holds the traditional bedrooms and kitchen in the “L” portion of the house while the wing holds the parlor, staircase, and additional bedrooms.  The Faulkner’s added an addition onto the back of the house creating additional living and bedroom space as well as enclosing the back porch to create an inviting eating area with splayed ceiling.

 

The Faulkner’s made some delightful changes to the home which reflect the Victorian era in which this home was built.  In essence, the Faulkner’s brought this home into a more Princess Anne styling wherein there is complexity in the roofline; a variety of architectural forms and textures; various colors and exterior wall surface materials; and gingerbread trim on the porch.  A Princess Anne style is sometimes used to describe a simpler version of Queen Anne architecture.  Surely these changes reflect the type of alterations a homeowner would have made to update their home to reflect the current “fashion” during this very era.

This home was built using ballon-style framing--a building technique that originated in Chicago in the 1830s, came into popularity in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, and was actually utilized in the building of the elaborate architectural featres found during the Victorian era.  According to historian Kingston heath, "The balloon farme is clearly a product of the American Industrial Revolution"  The principal advantages were that it used less lumber (albeit longer pieces of lumber), involved less construction time, and didn't require extensive skills for constructing thereby resulting in a 40% reduction in constsruction costs.  (Heath, Balloon Frame)  Exterior walls are created utilizing long 2x4s extending uninterrupted from sill to roof line.  As opposed to the earlier style timber framing which utilized large timbers interlocked with chiseled joints secured with wood pegs, the balloon framing relied upon nails to secure each piece and floor joists are nailed to the studs.  Modern-day building codes discourage this type of framing wherein the walls are open from sill to roof.  During their extensive remodeling, the Faulkner’s put fire-stops in between the floors and insulation in the walls thereby filling the void resulting in bringing the structure in line with modern-day fire codes.

All the plaster walls—originally made utilizing a mortar mixed with chicken feathers then covered with a thin coat of lime—were replaced allowing for the insulation of the entire home.  Interior and exterior woodwork and windows were replaced while remaining true to the architectural elements of the period.  The extensive remodel resulted in the removal of any woodwork and walls that would have contained any hazardous painting materials.  

A bathroom which had been added that took up a portion of the now-living room was removed and the pantry in the kitchen converted to the new bathroom.  As mentioned, the Faulkner’s enclosed the old porch, insulated, and raised the ceiling creating the delightful breakfast nook.  The basement stairs, which originally were entered through a trap door in the basement, were rebuilt and utilized a new doorway from the breakfast nook to gain access to the basement.  The basement was long-ago hand dug out to accommodate more storage.

The Faulkner’s, having just celebrated their 43rd year of owning this home, have been the longest owner’s of the home.  The second longest owners were the Martin’s from 1942 to 1969, and  the third being the Rabella’s from 1902 to 1927.  In 1933 the home was taken back by the bank during the Depression and rented by C. Edgar Murray, a Geneva photographer who had a studio at 319-1/2 W. State St.  Forever a part of the history of this home, The Faulkner’s have lovingly wrote their story in its care and preservation that will remain as part of its history as the next chapter awaits to be written by the new owners of this charming historic home.

This Looks Like Home!

For more information about this home contact:

Marian Boveri, Historic Homes Specialist

Keller Williams Fox Valley Realty, 847-308-2424

www.ThisLooksLikeHome.com

Until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
(An old Irish blessing)