Washburne, Elihu Benjamin, House
Why it's listed
This brick house at 908 Third Street in Galena was built in 1844-1845 by lawyer Elihu Benjamin Washburne. It began as a one-and-a-half story Greek Revival temple-form house with a four-column portico. A remodeling in 1859 added a second story, a two-story portico with four fluted Doric columns, side porches, a two-story bay window and a rear wing. The original section uses soft native Galena brick, while the addition uses larger, harder glazed red brick. Washburne lived here until 1882. He served in Congress from 1852, supported fellow Galenian U.S. Grant, briefly served as Secretary of State in 1869, and then spent eight years as Minister to France. A telegraph was installed in his library in 1868 so Grant and friends could receive election results. The house is a later example of Greek Revival design and is a state memorial near the Grant Home. Masonry faults and deferred repairs were noted at the time of listing.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to Elihu Benjamin Washburne, a Galena lawyer who became a U.S. Congressman, briefly Secretary of State under President Grant, and later Minister to France. It is also considered a late example of Greek Revival architecture that forms part of Galena's architectural heritage.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73000708, listed July 5, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 908 3rd St., Galena |
|---|---|
| County | Jo Daviess County |
| Listed | July 5, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000708 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1844-1882 (Washburne occupancy) |
| Architectural style | Late Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and unaltered on its original site. Faults in the south masonry wall are attributed to heavy truck traffic and the added second story. Needed work includes the roof, exterior woodwork, masonry and tuck pointing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Galena Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.41396, -90.43181 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73000708.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5360845
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.