Historical Homes & Attractions Adolphus W. Brower House
705 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore Located in Sycamore, this home has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since Feb. 14, 1979. The home is located on Route 64 as it passes through the DeKalb County seat of Sycamore as State Street. The Italianate structure, constructed of stone and asphalt, was erected in 1876 by Sycamore merchant Adolphus W. Brower. It is also known as the George F. Beasley House.
Altgeld Hall
116 Altgeld Hall, NIU, DeKalb “Altgeld’s castles” are buildings in the Gothic Revival style located in five Illinois universities, all built at the initiative or inspiration of Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld. One of these, Altgeld Hall, is located at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Built between 1895 and 1899, Altgeld Hall was originally called the “Castle on the Hill.” The architecture and gargoyles that guard the building are a favorite for people to stop and see.
Chicago and Northwestern Depot
475 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore A historic railway station located at the northeast corner of Sacramento and DeKalb Streets in Sycamore, Illinois. The station was built in 1865 to serve as Sycamore’s main railway station. While Sycamore was bypassed by the Chicago and Northwestern Railway (C&NW) in the early 1850s, several community leaders developed and built the Sycamore, Cortland, and Chicago Railway to link Sycamore to the C&NW at Cortland. The original line, which opened in 1855, lacked an engine and pulled railcars by mule; as the railway
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became more successful, it was able to purchase an engine and build the station in Sycamore. The station has an Italianate design which resembles contemporary DeKalb architecture but is noticeably different from the standardized depots built elsewhere in the C&NW system. This is now home to the DeKalb County Community Foundation.
Egyptian Theatre
135 N. 2nd St., DeKalb Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the establishment is a 1929, fully restored, Egyptian Art Deco movie palace. The Egyptian Theatre is utilized by the community for a wide variety of events and also attracts national touring acts. More than 100 unique events are held each year at this historic venue.
Ellwood House Museum
509 N. 1st St., DeKalb The historic Victorian mansion, situated on 10 acres of parkland, was originally built in 1879 for barbed wire entrepreneur Isaac Ellwood. The museum campus consists of seven historic structures, four gardens, and 6,000-squarefeet of exhibit space in the Patience Ellwood Towle Visitor Center, a converted and expanded 1912 multi-car garage. The museum offers guided mansion tours, exhibit galleries, and events. Tour season runs from March 1 through the first weekend of December. The Visitor Center is open year-round.
2018-2019
