Strevell House Receives Donation

Our thanks to Pontiac Tourism for providing the following press release for us to share from the Livingston County Historical Society:

Livingston County Historical Society
115 West Howard Street
Pontiac, Illinois 61764

********** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE **********

28 October 2011

Strevell House Receives Bryne Trust Donation

(Left to Right) Thomas Ewing (Chairman – Strevell House Committee), Bob Sear (LCHS President), Louis Lyons (Bryne Trust Trustee), Donovan Gardner (Strevell House committee member)

The Livingston County Historical Society recently accepted a donation from the Floyd A. and Alta I. Bryne Trust which will be used to support the restoration of the Jason W. Strevell House in Pontiac, Illinois. The Strevell house is the only remaining structure in Livingston County which is known to have welcomed Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln visited with Strevell, a Pontiac attorney and political mover, in January of 1860, after Lincoln gave a speech to the Pontiac Young Men’s Literary Society at the Presbyterian Church.

The Bryne Trust was created by Floyd and Alta Bryne to enhance the Pontiac community. Bryne was a former Mayor of Pontiac, and during their lifetimes both he and his wife were very involved in making Pontiac a better place to live.

The Bryne Trust was also an important contributor to the purchase of the Strevell house in 2009 when it was threatened with demolition by the then owner of the building. Since 2009, the Livingston County Historical Society has been restoring the home to its 1860 condition. Work on the exterior is nearly completed. So far the front windows and doors have been refinished, the foundation fixed, and elements of the decorative wood work repaired or replaced. Work on the roof is expected to be completed before winter, and the exterior paint work will probably begin in early Spring 2012.

Funding for the restoration of the Strevell House is coming solely from private donations. So far a number of civic-minded citizens, businesses, and organizations have contributed. A Memorial Brick program is the primary funding source. Engraved bricks with the name or message of the donor will be placed in the front walkway of the home. Work on the brick walkway is expected to begin in 2012. Donors are encouraged to order their brick before the end of this year. After the front walk is installed, bricks will still be available, but the cost of installation which the Historical Society pays for each brick rises substantially.

For more information, contact:

Ellie Alexander, Pontiac Tourism
(815) 844-5847
Email: tourism@pontiac.org