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The DeKalb County History Center’s annual Historic Homes Tour for this year’s Sycamore Pumpkin Festival will feature the theme theme is “Whimsical Houses,” showcasing some of Sycamore’s most interesting and somewhat quirky historic homes. The tour runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25. Tickets cost $25 and may be reserved at the History Center or online at dekalbcountyhistory.org. Participants can check in from Friday, Oct. 24, to 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, to pick up a tour booklet with a ticket. Check-in is only at the History Center, 1730 N. Main St., Sycamore. Actual tickets and booklets will not be available in advance or at individual homes. Any trip around Sycamore reveals many distinctive home designs in interesting decorative styles. This year’s tour will offer seven locations, including two cute cottages, each with an individual flair; the well-known Nellie Murphy house, which has many exquisite stained-glass windows and unusual design elements; two houses built as twins which could not be more different in decorating styles; and one more recent bungalow, featuring many energy-saving features, built on an historic site. Also included is the DeKalb County History Center, which is creating a truly distinct new venue on its campus. For information, to purchase tickets or to volunteer, visit dekalbcountyhistory.org or call 815-895-5762. Here are some highlights of each of the homes featured on this year’s tour: 128 Alma St. The first house is a quaint cottage built in 1936 on the original William Marsh estate by Edward Holcomb, who was the owner of a large local lumber yard. Initially built as a model home, showcasing low-cost homes, it first contained only five rooms. Now, the cute Cape Cod home has huge curb appeal, with a whimsical winding path leading to the front door. This home was built on the part of the estate that once housed an open park featuring native deer and other wildlife, and it retains the feel of a forest with the backyard and the nice enclosed sunroom. Each area in this house is more inviting than the last. The dining area feels welcoming for the whole family, and the living room has a one-of-a-kind mantelpiece, carved by famous local carver Joe Dillet, who created the famous wooden mural at the Farm Bureau building. The upstairs master bedroom is so comfortable, you’ll want to move in. 129 N. California St. The tour moves next to 129 N. California, the perfectly enchanting Nellie Murphy house, built in the substantial American Foursquare style in 1908 for John Murphy, Nellie’s father. Miss Helen “Nellie” Murphy lived 70 years of her life in this lovely home, never marrying. Nellie worked all her life for the Pierce Trust and Savings Bank, which became what we know as the National Bank & Trust and is now Old National Bank. The deep brown brick exterior is surrounded by a magnificent wrap-around porch. This house features some of the nicest glasswork in town. Beveled, leaded, and stained-glass windows, more than 20 in all, are found throughout the house, even in the bathrooms and closets, certainly a whimsical touch. Although the home has seen several owners since Nellie Murphy passed away in 1978 at the age of 89, the most recent owner has restored it. 205 W. High St. The charming stone cottage at 205 W. High Street was built in the 1930s and has been owned by St. Peter’s Episcopal Church since 1966. The arched doors are now painted a welcoming bright yellow, which adds to the fairy cottage look. This tiny house actually sports 22 windows. It has two bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, and a warm, welcoming living room, complete with an original fireplace. All of the wooden floors and the woodwork throughout the house are also original. There is a full garage and even an attic. 508 and 464 Somonauk St. Next, tour goers are invited to enjoy the unusual twin homes at 508 & 464 Somonauk. Both of these homes originally included towers in the front as well as wrap-around porches, built as mirrors of each other. They are now painted in entirely different color schemes, each creating a unique statement of its own. The “Pink House” at 508 Somonauk was built in 1872, and its tower was topped with a unique pointed cap. Though the tower and the porches are gone, it still creates a sensation with its distinctive color scheme, recently repainted to a beautiful soft shade of pink trimmed with a nice maroon. It was originally owned by the Byers/Faissler family. This home sports many of its original touches, including beautiful inlaid floors, different in every room. The current owners certainly have a singular decorating style; there are creative touches in every room that are worth looking for. Look especially for the inscription in the floor on the second floor, which sums up what working with these historic homes entails. The other twin, 464 Somonauk, is painted a stunning, Pumpkin Fest orange, trimmed in black and cream. This home dates from about 1880 and was purchased for Daniel Wild, son of early businessman George Wild. Daniel Wild was vice president of the Pierce Trust and Savings Bank and served with the YMCA in Europe during World War I. This large home showcases beautiful inlaid floors and exquisite crown molding throughout. It features an original staircase that you won’t want to miss. The current owners are continuing to restore this home, which was once cut into apartments, to its previous grandeur. They have recently opened more of the upstairs bedrooms. And you will not want to miss their beautiful kitchen and newly restored bar area and back staircase. 726 Somonauk St. The last home is quite special: 726 Somonauk is a beautiful, cozy bungalow. This home may be newer than the others on the tour, but it is no less historic or interesting. The grounds this house is built on, in fact, comprise one of the most historic locations in town – the site of Waterman Hall, an exclusive boarding school for Episcopal girls, built in 1889, and then reopened in 1919 as St. Alban’s School for Boys. The campus was extensive with several impressive buildings, including the main hall and a lovely brick chapel, which provides the footprint of this bungalow. The owners have incorporated some of the original bricks from the chapel into their patio where they have also mounted the original bell from the school. Today’s home was built with energy efficiency in mind, using geothermal heating and cooling as well as solar panels for electricity. The woodwork is exquisite, made of “fumed” wood. But the best feature may be the large model train display, taking up several rooms in the basement. 1730 N. Main St. Finally, everyone is invited to 1730 N. Main in Sycamore, current home to the DeKalb County History Center. Previously known as Stark’s Corner, then Engh Corners. This property was a large, prosperous farm for most of its history. First owned by Marshal Stark, an important member of the local farming community. It was then the flourishing farm of Harold Engh and the Engh family. As part of the tour, ticket holders can view the beautiful History Center, opened in 2019 and its current exhibit: “FOOD: Gathering Around the Table,” hosted in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institutes. Visitors may also view plans for the future of our campus and witness the progress made in fulfilling those plans. The historic corn crib is being transformed into a performance venue, and the grounds will feature walking paths and gardens, showcasing DeKalb County’s agricultural heritage.
