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Photo Archives for Jake Strang House
Historic Building 1
18750 Millburn Road

 photo of Jake Strang House
DateTypeSize (k)Comments
1981b/w49Ceremony
1979b/w49for Historic Register
1956b/w41from E. Foster's History
1880b/w89with fence and trees

Please respect the privacy of the homeowner living in this historic building.

Read more about John "Jake" Strang.

the following comments are copied from the application for the Illinois Register
Returning from a successful venture in California gold mining, "Jake" Strang purchased 42 acres of land in 1853 and built his home in 1856-57 next to Mill Creek. The home was started in the fall of 1856 with a single story section 23'4" x 30'8" completed before cold weather set in. This portion of the house contained kitchen, bedroom, pantry and small sitting room. The following year, 1857 the two story structure 22'8" x 30'8" was completed which contained front entry hall with open stairway to second floor, formal parlor, sitting room, bedroom on the first floor and three bedrooms with ample closets on the second floor.

The house is an unusual combination of several styles, including Federal and Italianate as well as Greek Revival. The structure has double wall locally made red bricks with trim of cream color bricks (purchased at $4.50 per thousand, receipt available) construction with field stone boulders as foundation and basement. The heavy trim inside and outside is hand lathed. The sweeping bannister to the second floor is walnut. An interesting feature of the parlor is the decorative wood trim installed to suggest a fireplace, but used as a backdrop for a wood burning stove. When the house was remodeled (1938-39) the chimney opening was plastered shut. The windows are double hung, 4 over 4, or 6 over 6 with mostly original glass.

At "Jake" Strang's death in 1895 the house passed to his daughter who lived there for a few years. Then it was rented until purchased by the present owner in 1920. The house has changed very little over the years.

Exterior:

  1. The original flat roof was found unsatisfactory and replaced a few years after construction with a gable roof. The flat roof still exists under the present roof and the original drain tile is visible.
  2. French doors were removed between the parlor and kitchen and placed at the dining room outside entrance, which replaced an entrance that duplicated the present one.
  3. In the 1890's a wooden two-story addition was constructed on the back of the house which was removed in 1938. The plaster covering on the bricks (a little larger than a doorway) still remains but can be removed without damage.
  4. Enlarged and enclosed back entrance into a sunroom.
  5. Window installed in south kitchen wall.
  6. Enclosed a basement entrance.

Interior:

  1. From the parlor, a doorway was cut through to sitting room next to fireplace wall.
  2. A door from the back entrance hallway was cut into the sitting room.
  3. In present dining room, the small wall, which included French doors near bay window, was partially removed.
  4. The doorway into small bedroom was closed and brick fireplace added.
  5. The wall between kitchen and the pantry was removed and a new kitchen installed thus giving the owners a formal dining room in the area that had been the kitchen and parlor. Enlarged area of back entrance way to make enclosed sunroom, bathroom and closet with wash basin.
  6. Added a doorway from kitchen to sunroom.
The above changes were made in the years 1938-39 to the first floor; no changes except the addition of electricity have been made to the second floor.
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