8/25/2009 9:26:00 PM
Tour of Homes showcases breweries
Event to feature 19th century architecture in Galena
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GALENA-In homage to Galena's early years when seven breweries manufactured thousands of barrels of beer for its thirsty residents, the 42nd annual Tour of Historic Galena Homes will feature two former breweries in addition to three private homes and the Galena History Museum.
A signature event for the Galena-Jo Daviess County Historical Society, the tour runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. rain or shine both Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27.
The City Brewery complex on Spring Street (U.S. 20) consists of three adjacent buildings. The impressive stone structure now home to Stone House Pottery and Gallery was built in 1850 as offices, beer garden, and brewmaster living quarters. A stone and brick building (now Abe's Spring Street Guest House) began life in 1876 as an ice house with 27-inch thick walls. A major remodel in 2002 resulted in the Artists' Annex, which rests on the footprint of a once three-story stone building where malting, brewing and kegging operations were performed. Selected rooms in all three structures, including aging caves with domed ceilings, will be open to the public during the tour.
The 1842 Specht Brewery at 404 S. Dodge St. was also called the Illinois Brewery at one time. Two floors of the brick Federal-style home accommodate living quarters. Accessed by a separate entrance, the basement cave boasts arched stone ceilings and original herringbone-pattered brick flooring recently restored to gain additional living space. The current owners have a vested interest in brewing, as they recently launched the Galena Brewing Company, although no beer is produced at this location. The home tour brochure includes a coupon for 10 percent off all Galena Brewing Company products at Galena River Wine & Cheese the weekend of the tour, plus 10 percent of your purchase price donated to the historical society.
John Haas, a German immigrant and stone mason by trade, built a two story miner's cottage in 1860 where he and his wife raised five children. In 1995 a large two-story structure and a garden room connecting the old and new sections was added. The current owners purchased the West Street property in 2001 and artfully reconfigured the space. The lush garden setting for the Haas House provides dignity and ambiance for the fusion of the past and present.
The lead mine rush brought Augustus Godat from France to Galena in the late 1830s. Here he met wife Elizabeth, whose family emigrated from Germany for the same reason. They built this stone cottage in 1856 and raised their ten children here. Tucked into the wooded hillside on S. West Street, the cottage was purchased by the current owners in 2006 and lovingly restored. The second story of Springstead Cottage is a charming art studio, with a stunning painted floor in a checkerboard motif.
The Klein-Stoewer House at 305 S. Dodge St. was built in 1849 by Abraham and Henrietta Klein as a three-room frame and stone cottage. Granddaughter Juliana and her husband, Albert R. Stoewer, purchased the home in 1907, adding a quaint four-room two-story Craftsman bungalow addition in 1914. The original summer kitchen is now an artist studio. The steep, terraced gardens behind the home are breathtaking...literally and figuratively.
Tour guides, many in period attire, will provide historic narrative. With the exception of the City Brewery public spaces, all of the homes are making their home tour debut this year.
Free admission to the Galena History Museum is included with the home tour ticket and will include a behind-the-scene guided tour of the 1858 mansion/museum's non-public areas. During the home tour, the museum will be hosting a new temporary exhibit entitled "Stepping Out - 150 Years of Footwear," showcasing vintage shoes and related memorabilia by local collector Nancy Wolfe.
A free shuttle service will operate between all tour homes and ticket locations. Unique this year, the homes are within a three block radius, so guests may walk between the homes if they so chose; sturdy, comfortable footwear is advised, as some staircases and streets are steep.
The September Tour of Historic Galena Homes is sponsored by the Galena - Jo Daviess County Historical Society. Tickets are $14, $12 in advance (before Sept. 15); children under 10 are free with an adult. Tickets and maps are available tour weekend at the Old Train Depot Visitor Information Center at 100 Bouthillier St., the DeSoto House Hotel at 230 S. Main St., the history museum at 211 S. Bench St. and any home on the tour. Advance tickets (non-refundable) are available at the Galena History Museum, or phone 815-777-9129.
For information call 815-777-9129 or visit galenahistorymuseum.org.
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