Taylor, Oscar, House
About this property
The Oscar Taylor House is a historic house in the city of Freeport, Illinois. The house was built in 1857 and served as a "station" on the Underground Railroad during the American Civil War. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The Oscar Taylor House was built for Freeport banker and attorney Oscar Taylor in 1857. Taylor, the son of Speaker of the House John W. Taylor, opened Freeport's first bank in 1852. The house became a social and cultural center in Freeport, hosting many prominent guests. During the American Civil War the house was used as a station on the Underground Railroad. Fugitive slaves were hidden in the basement behind a secret door fronted with shelving. The door still remains. The house was in the Taylor family until 1944 when it was gifted to form the Stephenson County Historical Society and turned into a historic house museum. The Taylor House is an Italianate stone house of locally quarried, rough-faced limestone. It was designed by Otis L. Wheelock of the Chicago firm, Boyington and Wheelock. The house was the first of Freeport's large houses. The house is two stories tall with a full basement and full attic. It has a symmetrical plan but its symmetry is not plainly obvious because of the building's varied composition. It is topped by a cupola above and a projecting kitchen wing below, and also possesses projecting polygonal bays and a rear sunroom. These factors make the structure's symmetry difficult to discern. The Oscar Taylor House is significant in the areas of commerce and architecture. In the commerce area it is significant because of its association with Oscar Taylor, a prominent local businessman. It is also a good example of an Italianate mansion and was important as a stop on the Underground Railroad. The Oscar Taylor House was added to the National Register of Historic Places May 11, 1984. Oscar Taylor House, Property Information Report, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, accessed May 21, 2008. Stephenson County Historical Society Archived 2008-07-04 at the Wayback Machine, "The Museum", official site, accessed May 21, 2008.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Taylor, Oscar, House
This page lists Taylor, Oscar, House. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Nearby Battles
Questions about this property
When was Taylor, Oscar, House listed on the National Register?
Taylor, Oscar, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 10, 1984.
What type of historic resource is Taylor, Oscar, House?
Taylor, Oscar, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Taylor, Oscar, House?
The period of significance for Taylor, Oscar, House is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Taylor, Oscar, House?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Taylor, Oscar, House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Stephenson County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Stephenson County.
Explore StephensonCounty ›More historic places in Illinois
Browse all historic places in Illinois.
View Illinoishistoric sites ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Taylor, Oscar, House will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.