First settled in 1834, Rockford Illinois, has a rich history reflected in its many historic homes. The town began to really take off during the 1850s with the construction of the Rockford Water Power Company and the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad. Get an overview of the city’s lovely historic homes by touring through its eight historic neighborhoods or visiting historic homes open to the public.
The well-preserved historic homes in the city’s urban core include examples of Greek Revival, Queen Anne, Prairie, Arts & Crafts, Tudor and Dutch Colonial styles. Rockford’s professionals, entrepreneurs and industrialists owned homes. The eight historic neighborhoods to tour include 3rd College Union, Haight Village, the River District, Churchill Grove, Garfield Avenue, Brown’s Hills-Knightsville, North End Square and Indian Terrace. Set in treed landscapes, many of these architectural gems have elaborate gardens.
The Erlander Home Museum -- Rockford's first brick home -- highlights the community's strong Swedish ancestry. John Erlander built the Italianate-style home in 1871. Restored to the Victorian period, the home features many Swedish antiques and decorations brought to America by early immigrants. The museum collections include Swedish immigrate artifacts and furniture built in the Rockford area, a leading local industry at the time. The house and museum opened to visitors in 1952, and much of its furnishings are original.
Local businessman Robert Hall Tinker built this home in 1865. He was inspired by a European tour to design the Swiss-style cottage on a limestone bluff above Kent Creek. It’s one of only a few Swiss-style homes left in the United States from the 1800s. Set among a series of gardens including an iris, rose and heirloom vegetable garden, the home is filled with original furniture, household items and artwork.
Built in 1857 by Freeman Graham Sr., an important local businessman, the house sold in 1927 to Leo Ginestra, who then put his own stamp on it. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, the house became the first landmark of the Rockford Historic Preservation Commission. It opened to the public since the early 1980s. The architecture is mix of Greek Revival and Italianate styles. It features 1-foot-thick foundation walls made of local Illinois limestone. Highlights of a house tour include a mural on the parlor ceiling, intricately patterned parquet floors and a carved, freestanding curving stairway in the grand entrance.
