The Oldest House in Illinois Still Stands Strong After 197 Years

As the twenty-first to join the Union, Illinois officially became a state on December 3, 1818. While settlements existed before this, none of the buildings before statehood remain. However, the oldest house in Illinois still stands strong after 197 years!

What is the Oldest House in Illinois?

The oldest house in Illinois is the Dowling House which was built in 1826 by John Dowling. Since the 1970s, the building has been accessible to the public as it now operates as a museum.

The Dowling House is not only the oldest home in Illinois, it is the oldest stone structure still in use in the state. The stone used during the home’s construction is limestone.

Where is the Oldest House in Illinois?

The oldest house in Illinois, the Dowling House, is about three and a half hours northwest of Chicago. It’s near the Iowa border, and the Dowling House is located about a half hour outside of Dubuque, IA. Its address is 220 Diagonal Street in the City of Galena.

By the 1840s, Galena was the richest town in Illinois because it was the top mining location for lead in the world. Around this time, it also had a population that was bigger than that of Chicago. 

The word “galena” is a seventeenth-century Latin word for lead sulfide. Lead sulfide is the most important lead compound as well as the most common mined ore. Around 1845, Galena was responsible for supplying the nation with 85 percent of its lead.

By the 1850s, the Galena River that runs through town was impassable. The river was permanently damaged by mining sediments and agriculture which made the river small and shallow. This means that Galena was no longer a major port city which dampened its economic importance.

Galena is also known as “the town that time forgot.” However, Galena is mostly restored and it serves as a hotspot for tourism which is what drives today’s economy. The Historic District, which occupies over 85 percent of the town, only contains buildings built before December 31, 1859.

Where is the Oldest House in Illinois Located on a Map?

Dowling House is located at 220 Diagonal Street in Galena in northwest Illinois. There are historical sites, like the Belvedere Mansion, and areas of interest, like the Galena Recreation Park and the Galena River, close by.

Dowling House: Who Built the Oldest House in Illinois?

John Dowling built the Dowling House in 1826. This means that the house is 197 years old. The two-story house was not just a residential haven, but also a trading post. The family lived upstairs while the business was downstairs.

The trading post on the first level of the home, which dealt mostly with furs, was the only one in Galena for years. They serviced travelers as well as inhabitants who had built primitive log cabins in the area during the 1820s. The earliest cabins that predate the Dowling House no longer exist.

Unfortunately, after decades of neglect, the Dowling House fell into disrepair. However, in the 1960s, a man named William McCauley restored the home. Today, it’s officially a historic house museum open for public tours.

Dowling House: How to Visit the Oldest House in Illinois

There are guided tours available through the museum that occupies the house. These daytime tours are guided and full of information about Galena’s history. They’re hands-on tours, and guests are encouraged to handle some of the relics inside.

The Master Storyteller tells stories about the contemporaneous furnishings and objects in the home while walking you around the property. One of the Storytellers brings her well-behaved older dog, named Ranger, to work. It follows tourists from room to room. 

Bring cash to the Dowling House if you aren’t prepared to pay a 4 percent upcharge for cards. General admission is 14 dollars, however, children 11 years old and younger get in free.

Oldest House in Illinois: Is the Dowling House Haunted?

The Dowling House might be haunted. A company runs night-time paranormal tours since enough people think it is haunted. This twenty-dollar tour is an hour long, and it takes place with the lights out. It’s recommended that all participants are over 12 years of age as most of the tour is frightening for children. 

Attendees are welcome to bring their phones, cameras, and any other small paranormal equipment desired. It’s rumored that orbs are frequently photographed at this location, and there are also tales of ghost sightings. While this tour is based around ghost stories, it is not meant to be a formal ghost hunt.

Rumors abound that prankster spirits and poltergeists are on the property alongside the ghosts of the Dowling family. Pranksters and poltergeists are known to disturb physical objects by flickering lights or throwing objects on the floor. They can also pinch people or emit disgusting smells.

Keep in mind that paranormal activity is not scientifically verifiable. This means that all sightings, cold spots, and photographed orbs are conjectures.

The man who leads the haunting tour, named Jared Ozga, also leads other ghost tours in other cities. He is considered a performer, guide, and educator.

The Architecture of the Dowling House in Galena, Illinois

The Dowling House is an example of an antiquated architectural style known as the single-pen style. Single-pen homes were built by pioneers and were often made from logs, though some were made of brick or stone. The Dowling House is an example of a limestone single-pen home. 

Since the downstairs served as a trading post, it is one big main room. Upstairs, there is a kitchen, an eating area, and two small rooms. The original fireplace is intact though it is no longer used.

While the house seems dark and dingy to modern sensibilities, it was a mansion in its heyday. At this time, almost all of the buildings in the region weren’t made of more permanent materials like brick or limestone.

The limestone chosen for the Dowling House made it special since it was made to last a long time. Log cabins were the only housing option before 1826 in the region. Since log cabins only last between 50 to 100 years, the construction of the Dowling House was a special moment in Galena’s history.