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McLean County Home

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David Davis Mansion / Clover Lawn
1000 East Monroe Drive
Bloomington
McLean County, Illinois
(Transcribed by: Teri Moncelle Colglazier)

photos by: Historic American Buildings Survey & A McMurray

The David Davis Mansion, also known as Clover Lawn, is a Victorian home in Bloomington, Illinois that was the residence of David Davis, Supreme Court justice (1862-1877) and Senator from Illinois. The mansion has been a state museum since 1960. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975. Set in a residential neighborhood on Bloomington's near-south-side, the three-story yellow brick mansion comprises 36 rooms in an Italianate villa style. The mansion's lot includes an 1872 wood house, a barn and stable, privies, a foaling shed, carriage barn, and a flower and ornamental cutting garden. "Sarah's Garden", the Victorian cut flower garden, with original heirloom roses and perennials began restoration in 2001 and is near completion. History Clover Lawn was built between 1870 and 1872 and is where Justice Davis lived until his death in 1886. Davis commissioned French-born architect Alfred Piquenard to design the mansion, which combines Italianate and Second Empire architectural features and is a model of mid-Victorian style and taste. Piquenard was a prominent Midwest architect who designed the State Capitol in Springfield. The home was meant as a residence for Davis' wife, Sarah. David Davis himself spent most of his time there after his retirement from the U.S. Senate in 1883. The house remained in the Davis family until 1960, when it was donated to the state of Illinois, which operates it as a state historic site. Tours The home is open to the general public from Wednesday through Sunday. The home hosts many seasonal events including "Halloween at Clover Lawn," and "The Blessings of the Table" at Thanksgiving. During the winter holiday season the mansion is lavishly decorated for the Christmas holiday. Gas light tours are offered during the month of December, for a modest amount more than the general donation. The mansion is one of 12 Illinois historic sites slated to close October 1, 2008 due to budget cuts by the governor. [wikipedia.org] Clover Lawn is located in McLean County, Illinois certified as a historic location on Wednesday October 18, 1972. This location is a protected historic place because of historical significance relating to Domestic, more specifically a Single Dwelling, Secondary Structure. Clover Lawn was nominated by as a historic location by State Government, Other based on Architecture/Engineering, Person and its significance in Law, Politics/Government, Architecture. Other Name: David Davis Mansion Ownership Type: State Type of Resource: Building Historically Significant Names Associated With This Location: Daivs, David Historically Significant Years Associated With This Location: 1872, 1886 Level of Governmental Significance: National, State Architect, builder, or engineer: Piquenard, Alfred H. Restricted Archeological Site: Not Listed as a Restricted Site Acres occupied by this site: 45 Number of historically contributing buildings: 5 Number of historically contributing sites: 0 Number of historically contributing structures: 0 Number of historically contributing objects: 0 Number of noncontributing buildings: 1 Number of noncontributing sites: 0 Number of noncontributing structures: 0 Number of noncontributing objects: 0 [ourhistoricplaces.com]

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