Charles E. Swannell House

The Charles E. Swannell House is a Prairie School house in Kankakee, Illinois, United States. Designed by Tallmadge & Watson in the Prairie School style, it originally belonged to a local merchant.

Charles E. Swannell House
Charles E. Swannell House is located in Illinois
Charles E. Swannell House
Charles E. Swannell House is located in the United States
Charles E. Swannell House
Location901 S. Chicago, Kankakee, Illinois
Coordinates41°6′36″N 87°51′38″W / 41.11000°N 87.86056°W / 41.11000; -87.86056
Area0.3 acres (0.12 ha)
Built1911 (1911)
ArchitectTallmadge & Watson
Architectural stylePrairie School
Part ofRiverview Historic District (Kankakee, Illinois) (ID86001488)
NRHP reference No.82002551[1]
Added to NRHPJune 3, 1982

History

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Charles Edward Swannell was born in Momence, Illinois in 1856. He attended Lake Forest Academy and the Jacksonville Business College. His father Frederick founded a dry goods store, which Charles joined in 1871; five years later, he was named a partner. His brother Arthur joined the firm in 1882, when he purchased his father's interest in the store.[2] The company, C. E. & A. Swannell, owned and operated the Swannell Building at the corner of Court Street and Shuyler Avenue in Kankakee. The building had a dry goods store, public market, blacksmith, and offices.[3]

The house was designed by Prairie School architectural firm Tallmadge & Watson. It is the only building by the architects in Kankakee. The firm designed the house in 1911; three years later it was featured in a publication entitled Fireproof Houses of NATCO Hollow Tile.[4] On June 3, 1982, the house was recognized by the National Park Service with a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. On August 22, 1986, it was also listed as a contributing property to the Riverview Historic District.[1]

Architecture

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The Charles E. Swannell House is on a 100-by-135-foot (30 m × 41 m) lot on the Kankakee River in Kankakee. The main facade faces east toward South Chicago Avenue. Built on a concrete foundation, the two-story house has an attic and a massive hipped roof. A dormer window from the attic faces west. The roof has cedar shingles with metal ridges. Like many Tallmadge & Watson houses, the exterior walls are gently sloped inward as they rise. The walls are built with 10-inch (250 mm) NATCO hollow clay tiles covered in cream-colored stucco. These walls are decorated with brick for the water table and a stringcourse under the rood. The house is divided into three bays; the northern bay of the main facade features a rectangular open porch.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Portrait and Biographical Record of Kankakee County, Illinois. Chicago: Lake City Publishing Company. 1893. p. 368.
  3. ^ Stevens, Norman S. (2004). Kankakee: 1853-1910. Images of America. Arcadia Publishing. p. 14. ISBN 978-0738533384.
  4. ^ a b Illinois Historic Preservation Agency