The Strawbridge-Shepherd House in Springfield

The Strawbridge-Shepherd House in Springfield

Photo: Boscophotos / Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0 , resized

Thomas Strawbridge built a Greek Revival house in 1845 that was later modified with Queen Anne features.

The Strawbridge-Shepherd House is a historic house located at 5255 Shepherd Road in Springfield, Illinois. Saddle and harness maker Thomas Strawbridge built the house for himself circa 1845. The original house was a two-story Greek Revival structure, and it remains one of the best-preserved Greek Revival houses in the Springfield area.

The house features key Greek Revival elements including a wide cornice trim resembling an entablature. It also features pilasters, sidelights, and a transom around the front door. An addition from circa 1865 gave the house an "L" shape and included a new kitchen.

In 1883, Civil War veteran Charles M. Shepherd purchased the house. Shepherd made several additions and modifications to the house, which added Queen Anne elements such as two porches with decorative spindlework. The University of Illinois Springfield acquired the building in 1970.

The house is currently occupied by the Illinois State Historical Society. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 8, 2015.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

Guide me

Hear this story where it happened, along with the others around it. Say how many days you have and what you are into, and we put together a route through these places, with a voice guide telling each story as you arrive.

Guide me

Written by Kyle McLonely

Discuss this with the author and others

No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.