An Even Clearer Original Photo

While downtown, I decided to do a little detective work on Mr. Burgess Taintor.  So I headed to the Lincoln Library and checked out the Sangamon County history books.  I was so hopeful to find a plat map older than the one I had found online from 1874.

Unfortunately, that is the earliest plat map available.  I really want to pin down when the house was built.  1866?  1868?  1871?  Every year?

It was not meant to be.

So I checked out old city and county directories, and frankly, I didn't find too much there, either!  At least not any new information.  Burgess was a "brickmaster" according to one directory.  In others, he is a farmer and stock dealer.  But other than that, most of the entries were pretty simple.



Burgess Taintor is listed as a Farmer and Stock Dealer, having come from New York to Illinois in 1853.

It was kind of disappointing.  I wanted SOMETHING new!



The main farm ended up being a contiguous 282 acres.



The farm has grown to 282 acres.



Burgess laid the brick foundation for this magnificent Leland Hotel.  From an 1800's Springfield map.



The brick foundry of Burgess Taintor (and his uncle) is described as 10 acres at the corner of Washington and West Grand Avenue, shown here.  It is unknown which of the actual structures above would be a part of the foundry.  I have learned much about Springfield history, though, in my search for the history of the Taintor's.  The "boundaries" of the square city of Springfield used to be North Grand Avenue, South Grand Avenue, East Grand Avenue (19th street and what is now a railroad), and this West Grand Avenue (now MacArthur Boulevard.  As the city grew, the boundaries were overrun.  Who knew?!).

A map of Springfield from 1876 with the Grand Avenues as its borders.

Well, I decided to look at the original 1874 plat map anyway.  And I did walk away with new knowledge!  Mom, Dad, and I are perplexed as to what the curve is in the front living room.  The wood paneling on the south wall juts out from the wall.  I figured it was probably an old chimney of sorts but had no real clue since there was no chimney on top of the roof.

Well, today, that suspicion has been confirmed.  Looking at a MUCH better-detailed photo in person (it's the same photo I found online but in such clearer detail) shows the second chimney plain as day!  So it looks like I'll have brick behind the living room wall.  How much (is the fireplace still there?) is anyone's guess.  Obviously, it has been torn down up at the chimney top on the roof.



Notice the two chimneys...and the bell on top of the first outbuilding!

If it's in decent condition, I'll leave it as unusable!  But old brick is usually quite beautiful along a wall.

I also noticed a really neat detail that wasn't seen before.  Look at that bell on top of the outbuilding!  Was this a little school?  Was it run to let the workers know it's time to eat?  I think it would be neat to build a little structure like this over the well (actually with a purpose of keeping it warm and out of the elements!) and placing that little bell right back on top.  A neat little find.  This photo also shows in clear detail that two doors on the front porch.

I am going to know a whole lot more in a few weeks!

But the books report that simple brick-mason Burgess just did what he did best...lay bricks.  He didn't need anything in the directory more than that.  And I suppose that is quite respectable in and of itself.