Rural Historic Structural Survey of Peotone Township Will County, Illinois Rural Historic Structural Survey of Peotone Township Will County, Illinois October 2014 for Will County Land Use Department and Will County Historic Preservation Commission Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. 330 Pfingsten Road Northbrook, Illinois 60062 (847) 272-7400 www.wje.com Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. Rural Historic Structural Survey Peotone Township Will County, Illinois TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary vii Federal Assistance Acknowledgement viii Chapter 1 – Background and Methodology Background 1 Survey Methodology 1 Survey Gaps and Future Research 2 Chapter 2 – Context History of the Rural Survey Area Geologic and Topographic Background to the Illinois Region 5 First Nations in the Illinois Region 6 The Arrival of European Settlers 8 Settlement and Development of Northeast Illinois 13 Peotone Township Developmental History 21 Andres 30 Schools 32 Churches 36 Cemeteries 40 Will County Fairgrounds 41 Chapter 3 – American Rural Architecture Farmstead Planning 51 Development of Balloon Framing 51 Masonry Construction 55 Classification of Farmhouses 60 Development of the Barn 73 Barn Types 77 Chapter 4 – Survey Summary and Recommendations Period of Significance 95 Significance 96 Potential Historic Districts, Thematic Designations, and Landmarks 100 Survey Summary 102 Table 1. Surveyed Farmsteads and Related Sites in Peotone Township Table 2. Farmhouses in Peotone Township Table 3. Barns in Peotone Township Notable Farmsteads in Peotone Township 169 Bibliography 187 Glossary 198 Will County Rural Historic Structural Survey Peotone Township v Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. Appendix A: Historic Plat Maps Appendix B: Survey Maps Key to Properties by Map ID number Map 1 – Will County Key Map Map 2 – Peotone Township: Overview of Survey Map 3 – Peotone Township: Significance of Sites Map 4 – Peotone Township: 1939 Aerial Photography Map 5 – Peotone Township: Potential Andres Historic District Will County Rural Historic Structural Survey vi Peotone Township Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. Executive Summary At the request of the Will County Land Use Department, acting as liaison for the Will County Historic Preservation Commission, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) has prepared this summary report of the intensive survey of existing farmsteads in Peotone Township in Will County, Illinois. The survey was performed between October 2013 and July 2014 and included thirty-six square miles with 141 farmsteads and related sites containing more than 850 individual structures. Peotone Township contains two Will County Landmarks, the H. A. Rahtje Mill, which was designated a landmark in 2002, and St. John’s United Church of Christ, designated in 2012. The township also contains two individual listings in the National Register of Historic Places, the Rathje Mill and the John Conrad House in the Village of Peotone, and one National Register district, the Downtown Peotone Historic District. Of the 141 farmsteads identified in the current survey, 18 individual farmstead sites have the potential to be considered for Will County Historic Landmark designation. Of these sites, at least four—the Henry Schwiesow Farmstead, the Jacob Krapf Farmstead, the Engelhardt–Lichtenwalter Farmstead, and the Crawford–Murray Farmstead—are also considered eligible for listing in the National Register. In some cases, the eligibility of the site would be enhanced if certain historic features were restored or non-historic cladding materials such as vinyl siding were removed. Other sites have either been designated Contributing, which means in the context of this report that they retain their overall character as historically agricultural sites but lack individual distinction; or Non-contributing, which indicates that the site lacks sufficient integrity to present the theme of agricultural history in the survey region. One potential historic district has been identified as part of the survey work: a small historic district centered on the hamlet of Andres, which developed after the completion of the Illinois, Iowa & Minnesota Railroad in 1905. The Peotone Township intensive survey was performed to update the previous survey of the township performed in 1988. In the previous survey, 140 farmsteads and related sites were identified in the township, containing at least 725 structures. Because of the rapid pace of contemporary development in Will County in the 1990s and changes to the agricultural economy, the Will County Historic Preservation Commission recognized the need to reassess the agricultural heritage of the region. WJE has previously completed fifteen intensive survey projects in eighteen of the County’s twenty-four townships covering Wheatland–Plainfield– Lockport, Du Page, Homer, New Lenox, Green Garden, Manhattan, Frankfort, Joliet–Troy, Channahon, Wilmington, Jackson, Florence, Reed, Custer, and Wesley Townships. Copies of the previous survey reports were provided to public libraries and respective governing agencies in the area. Cumulatively, the surveys have documented more than 7,400 structures on approximately 1,500 sites over approximately 650 square miles of Will County. Performing a separate survey for each township has allowed more detailed information to be collected, such as individual photographs of each historic structure, an assessment of current conditions, and preparation of site sketch plans from aerial photographs. With the permission of property owners, the survey work was performed with close-up access to the buildings, which allowed for close range photography and a reliable identification of building materials. The survey data was compiled and analyzed using database software and geographic information system (GIS) software. In this report, Chapter 1 contains a description of the project methodology. Chapters 2 and 3 provide the historical and architectural context, within which the surveyed farmsteads were established, grew, were reconfigured, and in some cases were abandoned. Chapter 2 covers the historical context of Will County agriculture, as well as the historical development of Peotone Township. Chapter 3 discusses the architectural context of the rural survey area. Chapter 4 summarizes the survey results and includes a discussion of the National Register and Will County criteria for designation of historical and architectural significance. Also in Chapter 4 are several tabulations of the survey results and an overview of a select number of historically and/or architecturally significant farmsteads. A bibliography of research sources follows the text. Appendices include historic plat maps for Peotone Township, and maps developed for this report to present the results of the survey and research. Will County Rural Historic Structural Survey Peotone Township vii Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. Federal Assistance Acknowledgement The activity, which is the subject of the Will County Rural Historic Structural Survey, has been financed in part with federal funds from the Department of the Interior, administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior or the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior or the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. This program receives Federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended. The U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or disability or age in its federally assisted programs. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to: Office for Equal Opportunity National Park Service P.O. Box 37127 Washington, D.C. 20013-7127 or Equal Employment Opportunity Officer Illinois Historic Preservation Agency One Old State Capitol Plaza Springfield, Illinois 62701 Will County Rural Historic Structural Survey viii Peotone Township Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. CHAPTER 1 BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY Background At the request of the Will County Land Use Department, acting as liaison for the Will County Historic Preservation Commission, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) has prepared this summary report of the intensive survey of farmsteads in Peotone Township in Will County, Illinois. A previous survey of farmsteads in Will County was performed in 1988. Beginning in 1999, WJE has prepared intensive surveys of eighteen individual townships in Will County. Previous townships surveyed included Plainfield, Wheatland, and Lockport (completed November 2000), Du Page (November 2001), Homer (November 2002), New Lenox (August 2003), Green Garden (July 2004), Manhattan (September 2006), Frankfort (December 2007), Joliet and Troy (April 2009), Channahon (April 2009), Wilmington (December 2009), Jackson (December 2009), Reed (January 2011), Florence (August 2011), Custer (July 2012), and Wesley (July 2012). The objectives of the study are to provide comprehensive information on all historic rural structures located in the area; to assess