Restoration work at the Strawbridge-Shepherd House.
Here, stored items lie in front of the summer kitchen.
Shutters, wood work, lightning rods, tables, chests, windows, and doors.
Note the prairie acreage at the rear.
A fireplace surround, probably from the house second floor.
Two bent wood wheel chairs.
Charles and Dennis power-wash the shutters.
Almost fifty have been recovered.
The restoration contractor, Tom Bundy, says the shutters are original.
He plans to have them painted and reinstalled.
Charles Taylor power-washes a brick sidewalk by the kitchen.
Results of the power-washing.
Summer kitchens were used to keep heat out of houses.
Early visitors to the house. Left to Right:
William Siles, UIS Professor of History; Ian Hunt, UIS student; Rosie Serio, UIS student; Christine Morris, Program Officer for the Midwest Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; and Carol Dyson, Senior Preservation Architect, IHPA
All pictures by Richard Hart
More images of the Lincoln mourning decorations have arrived.
This group of visitors represented Company A-14 Michigan Infantry.
Viewed from any angle, the house has a somber appearance.
Abraham Lincoln died 142 years ago today, at 7:22 am on April 15, 1865. His friends, Elijah Iles and Robert Irwin, mourned as did all of Springfield.
In memory of his death, the Iles House is decorated in mourning drapery from April 15 until the Lincoln funeral date of May 4. A photo and a video of the decoration process appears on the State Journal-Register site.
This observance marks the first time since 1865 that Springfield has so honored the passing of its famous citizen and America's greatest President.
Restoration work at the Strawbridge-Shepherd House.
Shutters, wood work, lightning rods, tables, chests, windows, and doors.
A fireplace surround, probably from the house second floor.
Two bent wood wheel chairs.
Charles and Dennis power-wash the shutters.
The restoration contractor, Tom Bundy, says the shutters are original.
Charles Taylor power-washes a brick sidewalk by the kitchen.
Results of the power-washing.
Early visitors to the house. Left to Right:
On Saturday, March 31st, Iles House volunteers rose early to provide water to half-marathon runners. The House was their first water stop on the 13-mile journey. For more pictures of the race, see the DS Digitals site.
At noon a ribbon-cutting ceremony opened the new brick patio, which provides outdoor dining and easy access to the ground floor and elevator. Mr. Iles (left) joined visitors for nibbles.
In the afternoon, local experts continued their round-table discussion of historic preservation issues in Springfield and Sangamon County. All in all, a very busy day to welcome spring!
