National Register of Historic Places – David Syme House – Sycamore, Illinois – Historic Architecture
If you are in the Sycamore, Illinois area with nothing to do, more specifically if you are in the 800 block of Somonauk Street in Sycamore, certainly seeing the Chauncey Ellwood House and Esther Mae Nesbitt House, you might want to walk south. Walk until you reach the 400 block. At 420 Somonauk is the stately David Syme House. It’s a Queen Anne style house that’s part of a group known as “painted ladies” (wiki: not the best but good enough).
The David Syme House was designed by architect George O. Garnsey, who designed several other prominent local structures, as well as buildings in other Illinois communities (more on both in other articles of mine). Garnsey was a Chicago-based architect who helped design many buildings after the Great Chicago Fire and what is today’s Illinois State Capitol.
Syme House has two prominent circular towers, common in Queen Anne-style houses. Syme House also has a gabled (wiki) roof with crossed (wiki) gables, a feature found in about 50 percent of Queen Anne-style houses.
David Syme came to Sycamore in 1868 and the house at 420 Somonauk cost him about $8,000 around 1880. Syme served as president of the local bank, as well as mayor and president of the Sycamore School Board.
Sycamore, Illinois is a city of approximately 15,000 residents, located in DeKalb County, of which it is the county seat. Sycamore was settled in 1835, primarily north of the Kishwaukee River.
Sycamore is well worth the visit for any architecture student, history buff or photojournalist. The National Register of Historic Places is a great combination of the two fields worth seeking out for connoisseurs of either field.
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