Homes
411 South Poplar, Reef Cottage - Circa 1892
A miniature version of Queen Anne houses of the late 1880s. Clapboards on the first story with fish-scale shingles on the second half story and the off-center porch are typical picturesque features of the style. Note the gable treatment with hooded windows and half-timbers. The house is in an excellent state of preservation—a private residence.
505 West Walnut, Babcock / Allyn House, 1868
An excellent example of the square Bracketed-Italianate style with its scrolled brackets and wide projecting eaves. It was originally only two stories high with a low hip roof. The first president of Southern Illinois Normal University(SINU), Robert Allyn, added the mansard roof, one-story dining room wing, and two-story bay window in 1879, bringing the house into the Second Empire style—private residence.
511 West Walnut, Dixon House, Circa 1858 - Designated 1998
The William Dixon House was built in 1858. The original story-and-a-half house is the oldest documented frame house in Carbondale. Two additions have been made to the residence; the east parlor in the 1920s and the west two-story addition in the 1940s. The architectural style of the house is considered French colonial. Designated in 1998, the home is currently a private residence.
603 West Walnut, Circa 1884
It represents a modest frame house popular in Carbondale in the 1870s and 80s. The central cross gable with pointed molding over the gable windows is typical, but the porch and wooden Gothic trim are missing. The house contains walls of brick nogging from an earlier structure—a private residence.
605 West Walnut, Smith House, Circa 1901 - Designated 1995
SIU Professor George Washington Smith built the George Washington Smith home in 1901. Smith was a noted Lincoln historian, textbook writer, and Illinois State Historical Society Vice President. The house is an example of transitional Queen Anne and Colonial Revival. The central entrance, colonial railing, and square massing of the Colonial Revival are combined with Queen Anne's asymmetrical east facade and patterned shingles. The original porch was replaced in the 1940s. Designated in 1995, the home is currently a private residence.
206 South Poplar, Felt's House, 1870s
To bring it into fashion, a Queen Anne corner tower and porch were added to this simple 1870s house in the 1890s. The Queen Anne porch has since been replaced—private residence.
204 South Maple, Winne House, 1873
A three-bay side hall Italianate house with a low hip roof and eave brackets. The front facade has tall arched windows typical of the style. The house was built on the site of the Hundley House and moved in 1915 to Maple Street. The ornamented porch and second-story balustrade have been removed—private residence.
601 West Main, Hundley House, 1915
A square two-story house with a red tile hip roof and built of glazed brick with wide overhanging eaves. The Prairie style influence can be seen in the horizontal bands of windows, lack of Historical detail, and broad, flattened arches on the wide porches. The design of the brickwork is repeated on the interior walnut stairway, which contains an original Art Nouveau stained glass window—a gift shop.
The Batson/Gilbert Home - Designated 1998
The Batson/Gilbert House, 513 West Walnut Street, was built by Francis M. Batson in 1894 and was later purchased by Dr. John P. Gilbert in 1912. Dr. Gilbert, the first head of the Southern Illinois Normal University agriculture department (later known as Southern Illinois University Carbondale), was responsible for setting up a strong agriculture curriculum in the area schools through his work with the State Farmers Institute. The house is an example of "country" Queen Anne architecture.
The Winters House - Designated 1999
The Winters House, 512 West Oak Street, was built ca. 1896. It was built for Jesse J. Winters, a partner with Joseph Solomon in the men's clothing business. During his forty years in Carbondale, Winters was active in civic affairs. He served as an alderman several times and interim mayor in 1914. The house is an example of the Queen Anne style.
2607 West Sunset Drive - Designated 2022
The home at 2607 West Sunset Drive was initially built in 1968 and is an excellent example of a Colonial Revival-style property. Darrell Bryant and Jeff Franklin purchased the property in 2018 and have completed significant interior and exterior repairs and renovations, including a new roof, windows and painting of the original shiplap wood siding. The home features natural red bricks, which were initially located on Walnut Street and moved to this property in the 1960s to be used as driveway pavers. Period-appropriate lanterns, mailboxes, and detailed garage doors are great examples of how the owners have taken great care of the details and how those play an essential role in a property's historical look and preservation.
122 North Illinois Avenue; Oldenhage-Hughes Building - Designated 2023
SIH, owners of the Oldenhage-Hughes Building located at 122 North Illinois Avenue, have been selected winners in the "preservation" category for a commercial property. The Oldenhage-Hughes Building was built before 1890 and was extensively remodeled in 1917. SIH recently invested in preserving the brick building by repairing failing sections of mortar through a process known as tuckpointing. However, the owners didn't just focus on the failing areas; they chose to repoint most of the building, ensuring it would be preserved for many years to come. Preserving the downtown, specifically the oldest historic buildings on the town square, is paramount to having a thriving historic district. This project exemplifies how businesses can impact their communities by preserving and caring for their structures.
601 West Main Street - Designated 2022
The Hundley House, located at 601 West Main Street, was built in 1915 by J.C. Hundley. It's an impressive two-story house with a red tile hip roof and made of smooth glazed brick with wide overhanging eaves. Prairie-style influence can be seen in the horizontal bands of windows and broad, flattened arches on the wide porches. Geometric patterns in the brickwork form major decorative elements on the facade and porch pillars. This design is repeated on the interior walnut stairway, which contains an original Art Nouveau stained glass window. The current owners, Donald and Paula Morris, purchased the home in 2020 and have since installed a period-accurate wrought iron fence accentuating the home's character. This is an excellent example of how historic homes can be improved and help to preserve the neighborhood while allowing property owners to find modern and affordable options.
409 West Monroe Street - Designated 2022
The home located at 409 West Monroe Street was originally built in 1903 and was purchased by Brian Swoboda and John Boyer in 2003. They have taken great care to restore the property leaving much of the original materials and Queen Anne-style architectural charm as possible. The modern siding was removed to reveal the original wood siding and detailing underneath, painted in a tasteful contrasting color scheme. They have also worked to uncover and restore the front porch of the home, which adds to the overall character of the property. This home is an excellent example of how restoration and preservation can be successfully done and gives a glimpse into what the neighborhood could look like if adjacent properties were also restored. This is the second time Brian and John have won this award, as they initially won in 2006; this is important to note as the community has recognized and admired their continued efforts.
2603 West Sunset Drive; Darling House - Designated 2021
The 1968 Darling house is an architect-designed home for Dr. and Mrs. Donald Darling. Designed by Fisher Bowden in April of 1968, the home is a Mid-Century Modern residence with a flourish of modernism and Japanese accents. The original quote was $40,000, eventually completed at $47,000. Furnishings and landscaping brought the total cost to $60,000. The family moved in August of 1968.
The Darlings had moved to Carbondale from California, and design elements were found in magazines and incorporated into a modern home with warm finishes and textures, not unlike the A. Quincy Jones designed Eichler Homes in California; the home features a courtyard entrance, zero windows on the front façade, and a floating roof that creates a light lantern. The interior finishes of California redwood, faux travertine, and leather complement the “tea-house” interior.
The R. Buckminster and Anne Hewlitt Fuller Dome Home - Designated 2003
The dome was built as a private residence for R. Buckminster Fuller and his wife, Anne Hewlett Fuller, who lived in Carbondale from 1959 to 1970. Buckminster Fuller was a research professor at Southern Illinois University's School of Art from 1959 to 1968. The R. Buckminster Fuller Dome was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in February 2006 and most recently received recognition from the Illinois Chapter of the American Institute of Architects as one of the 150 great places in Illinois.
The Shelton House - Designated 2006
The Shelton House, located at 601 West Oak Street, is the only remaining turreted Queen Anne house in Carbondale. Set dramatically above the street on a generous corner lot stretching almost two hundred feet along Almond Street; the house was built in 1899 for Robert Shelton, owner of the Carbondale Grocery Company.
406 East Stoker, The Train Inn - Designated 2008
The Train Inn, 406 East Stoker Street, is one of the few surviving homes located in Block 4 of Hester and Stoker's addition, platted in 1902 by Mr. George Kennedy, Jr., and construction of new homes began shortly after that. The Train Inn was constructed in 1905 as part of the Arts and Crafts movement. The Arts and Crafts movement was the first phase of the modern movement (1900 to 1940) in domestic architecture in the United States. The home is an excellent example of the Craftsman Style, which began in Southern California around 1903 and quickly spread.
1115 West Sycamore Street Hickory Lodge - Designated 2009
Designated in 2009, The Hickory Lodge, 1115 West Sycamore Street, was built in 1931 to be the home of Thomas W. Martin, founder of Martin Oil Company, and his family. Martin Oil Company operated several regional service stations and sponsored the Martin Oilers Softball Team.
803 West Pecan, Rogers-Parkinson Home - Designated 2010
The house, built in 1905, is of the Princess Anne architectural style and was the home of several noted Carbondale residents, including two generations of the Foley family, members of which are noted in Carbondale as celebrated doctors, railroad men and solid members of the community. Other members that have lived at the residence include James Mills Feirich, the step-grandson of former SIU President Dr. Daniel Baldwin Parkinson, and the youngest son of Charles Edward Feirich, noted lawyer and longtime Carbondale resident.
209 North Springer Street - Designated 2023
Grayson Investments, LLC, owners of 209 North Springer Street, have been selected as winners in the "preservation" category for a residential property. This home was built around 1900 and has since been converted into apartments. The current owners of this property have recently replaced the roof and repaired and re-painted the original wood siding with period-appropriate paint. This preservation work is an excellent example of mid-level exterior renovations that are historically accurate and a great example of how homeowners can work toward maintaining Carbondale's older housing stock.
800 West Sycamore; Robinson House - Designated 2023
Mark Robinson, owner of 800 West Sycamore Street has been selected as a winner in the "adaptive reuse" category for a residential property. The structure located at 800 West Sycamore Street was originally built in the early 1900s as a market, commonly known as "Kirby's". Mr. Robinson purchased the property in 1988. Prior to his purchase, it was abandoned and full of trash. Originally, Mr. Robinson used the building for storage however, in 1993 he began renovations on the interior to turn it into a livable space. Over the years he's used many salvaged materials, giving those items a new home as well. The structure received a new roof in 2016 and at that time a solar array was installed as well. Mr. Robinson's work has saved this structure from being in complete disrepair and ultimately saved it from demolition. This adaptive reuse is a wonderful example of how we can creatively use aging structures with a new purpose which is paramount to preserving the history and buildings of Carbondale.