Pumpkin Fest Historic Homes Tour: On the Move

The DeKalb County History Center’s annual Historic Homes Tour for this year’s Sycamore Pumpkin Festival, dubbed “On the Move,” will feature six houses that aren’t in their original building spots.

“On the Move,” featuring historic homes, will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 26.

“While researching this event over the years, the committee found more and more homes that have been moved and thought that they would make for a fascinating tour,” organizers wrote in a news release. “Materials in the Joiner History Room also identified several of the important people and companies that performed these moves.”

This year’s tour will offer six locations, including three homes that were moved, one home that was built on the site from which another house was moved, a home that wasn’t moved but is too lovely to pass up, and one with a History Center personal connection: the story about the moving of Hired Hands House to Pleasant Street in DeKalb. The impending move is part of a collaboration with Habitat for Humanity.

Tickets cost $20 per person and may be reserved after Oct. 15 at the History Center or online at dekalbcountyhistory.org. New this year, organizers ask that all participants check in on the day of the walk to pick up their tour booklet with ticket only at the History Center, 1730 N. Main St., Sycamore. Actual tickets and booklets will not be available in advance or at individual homes.

Those interested in a free ticket are encouraged to consider volunteering for a shift. Volunteer training will be at 10 a.m. Oct. 19 at the History Center. For more information, to buy tickets or to volunteer, visit dekalbcountyhistory.org or call 815-895-5762.

Here are details on this year’s locations:

708 Somonauk St.

The house famously got stuck in the middle of Somonauk Street for a night during the moving process in 1989. Built circa 1881 for George Marsh, whose father was Charles Marsh of the Marsh Harvester Co., the home was bought by James Ellwood in 1888. James was one of Sycamore’s Ellwood brothers, a merchant who served as Sycamore’s postmaster. The house also served at one point as the convent for St. Mary’s Church, and another time as the administration offices for the Sycamore Municipal Hospital. It also is one of three homes in Sycamore restored by Margaret Baack. It features original stained-glass windows in the front, stunning woodwork, a newly remodeled kitchen and a third-floor deck. Tour participants will get to view all four stories.

432 Somonauk St.

J.H. Rogers settled in Sycamore in 1858 and was a highly respected dry goods merchant. This home was built in 1891 on the place where a large, twin gabled home stood. That house was moved by mule to the 500 block of South Main Street. After the move, the house was split into two houses, turned and set down. Both of those resulting homes were expanded, providing new homes for two families. The current home on Somonauk was built after the move. It sports a Queen Anne-style turret on the home’s northwest side, offset by a Romanesque arch over the front doorway. Stained glass windows along the stairway, a remodeled kitchen and a unique three-sided fireplace lend character to the home.

343 Grant St.

The house at 343 Grant St. is an eye-catching, airy home that features double entryways in the front. It was built in 1896 for David Middleton, a tailor who also operated a clothing store. Middleton was a major golf enthusiast. He founded a local golf club and was instrumental in bringing a golf course to the design of Sycamore Park. This home was moved from 530 W. State St. in 1991 to make way for the First Baptist Church, a move that many current Sycamore residents witnessed. The original main entry on the right contains leaded glass windows. The intricately carved leaf-design wooden staircase and stained glass window above give the entryway a classic style. Stained glass and leaded glass abound throughout the house, which also includes woodwork and pocket doors with glass panels in the front parlor. The abundant tall windows let in light and command a picturesque view of downtown Sycamore from the upstairs bedrooms.

123 Center Cross St.

This is the only house on the tour that wasn’t moved. Built circa 1870, its style and coziness offer spirited decor, with a wide pallet of colors throughout. The dining room contains an original fireplace with tiles depicting a hunting scene. The kitchen has been redone. The back sunroom has been turned into a bright, open bedroom, surrounded by windows that admit cool breezes and provide a view of the gazebo in the backyard. There also is a secret passageway in this house that you will have to visit to discover.

589 W. State St.

The large Italianate home at 589 W. State St. sits on the creek side as if it was built there. However, this home was built in 1877 and was moved in 1904. The original owners were Elry and Emma Hall. Elry was a station agent for the Northwestern Railroad Co. This home features a striking ceiling medallion in the front parlor and carefully curated colors throughout. Note the unique crown molding in the downstairs rooms. The dining room, painted in a shade of blue, provides a place to eat meals prepared in the fully modern chef’s kitchen. Off the kitchen is a patio, built in several levels, leading down to a creek.

1730 N. Main St.

This is the current home of the DeKalb County History Center, previously known as Stark’s Corner, then Engh Corners. This property was a large, prosperous farm for most of its history. First owned by Marshal Stark, an important member of the local farming community, the small white house is dated to the farm’s early days and later served as a residence for hired hands. It eventually was used as a rental property. It then became the offices and archives for the Sycamore History Museum and now will serve as a home for a deserving family through Habitat for Humanity on Pleasant Street in DeKalb. The larger house was renovated into the colonial structure you see today by longtime owner Harold Engh as a home for his farm managers. As part of the tour, ticket holders can view the History Center, which opened in 2019, and its current exhibit: “Food: Gathering Around the Table,” hosted in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institutes. Visitors also can view plans for the future of the center’s campus and see pictures of its own “On the Move” story.