1846 Blodgett House

In 1846, when James K. Polk was President of the United States, the Blodgett family built a house to replace their log cabin. Common features of this Greek Revival architectural style include a gabled roof, wide trim, large windows and doors, and a front door surrounded by window panels. The house was built of post and beam construction methods, different from building the log cabin and the 1892 Victorian home located on your left. Wood was cut from the surrounding property and logs were hand-hewn using various types of axes. Hand-hewn is the act of cutting or shaping logs with hard hits using hand-held, non-electric tools, such as axes or chisels. These logs were assembled using mortice and tenon joinery: each piece was fitted together and secured with pins. One of the unique aspects of this type of construction is that it did not need nails. Originally, this house was located where the 1892 Blodgett house sits today. In the 1890s, it was moved to the rear of the Blodgett property to make room for the construction of a new home. In 2008, through a community-wide effort, the house was returned to the Museum Campus and restored to its original appearance.

Downers Grove, Illinois · United States