Strevell home open house set

The Livingston County Historical Society would like to invite the public to attend a grand opening celebration to mark the completion of the restoration project for the historically important Jason W. Strevell House in Pontiac, Illinois.

On Saturday, June 23, members of the Historical Society, local media, government officials, and the public will get their first chance to see the remarkable transformation that has taken place both inside and outside the structure – the site of Abraham Lincoln’s last visit to Pontiac before he became President. The Strevell house is located at 401 West Livingston Street in Pontiac and the Open House will run from 10 AM to 11:30 AM.

Continuing with the history theme, also on June 23, there will be a free historical presentation staged at the nearby Eagle Performing Arts Theater. As part of the city’s commemoration of the 200th birthday of Illinois statehood, the Eagle’s show focuses on three remarkable women from Illinois.

Three Illinois Women During the Civil War, stars Betty Carlson Kay, and will begin at 2:00 PM with the doors opening at 1:30 PM. The Eagle Theater is located at 319 N. Plum Street and the phone number is (815) 844-1187. For more information on Three Illinois Women, visit the Eagle Theater’s webpage, pontiaceagle.com.

The Strevell house was built in the 1850s and is a classic example of the Gothic style of architecture popular at that time. It was home to the Jason W. Strevell family beginning about 1856. Strevell was a Pontiac attorney, State of Illinois Representative and Senator, and became through time, a close friend of Abraham Lincoln.

The house is the only remaining structure in the county where Lincoln spent any significant time. Over the years, the pre-Civil War house was remodeled a few times, and then broken up into apartments. In 2008, when the building’s owner contemplated razing the house, several Pontiac families joined together and purchased the property to preserve it for future generations.