About this property
The Lewis-Syford House is a historic building on the campus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was built in or around 1878 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The Lewis-Syford House was built in the late 1870s (most likely finishing construction in 1878) for Reverend Elisha M. Lewis, a Presbyterian missionary who had been a chaplain in the Union army during the American Civil War. The house was built outside the City of Lincoln's original plat and is one of few remaining examples of Second Empire architecture in Nebraska, featuring cast-iron cresting and a prominent Mansard roof. Lewis died in 1898 and the house was purchased by railroad engineer and cattle breeder DeWitt Syford in 1904. Syford's daughter Constance bequeathed the property to the Nebraska State Historical Society in 1965. The house and land became part of the University of Nebraska, surrounded by fraternities and sororities along 16th Street. Following a restoration throughout the 1970s, the Lewis-Syford House was used for a variety of university functions, including student counseling, and was purchased by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. Sartore renovated the structure, which had fallen into disrepair, for his children to occupy during their time in school, and now rents to students. The Lewis-Syford House is the oldest and only privately owned building on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's campus and has been minimally altered since its construction. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 18, 1971.
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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 Lewis-Syford House
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Questions about this property
When was Lewis-Syford House listed on the National Register?
Lewis-Syford House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 2, 2007.
What type of historic resource is Lewis-Syford House?
Lewis-Syford House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Lewis-Syford House?
The period of significance for Lewis-Syford House is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1878.
Can I research the history near Lewis-Syford 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 Lewis-Syford House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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