| George Clayson House | |
| Location: | 224 E. Palatine Rd., Palatine, Illinois |
| Coordinates: | 42.1103°N -88.0383°W |
| Built: | 1873 |
| Architecture: | Second Empire |
| Added: | March 21, 1979 |
| Refnum: | 79000835 |
The George Clayson House, located at 224 East Palatine Road in Palatine, Illinois, is a Second Empire home built in 1873 that has been restored to its 1890-1900 appearance.[1]
George H. Clayson was probably a local carpenter who also operated a grape orchard south of his property. Clayson moved to Palatine, Illinois from New York in the 1860s. He became a member of the Palatine Board of Trustees. Clayson acquired the 10acres property from Denzel F. Robinson in 1873. Clayson sold the house to Moses D. Brown in 1881.[2] Clayson sold the property so that he could move to nearby Nunda to expand his orchard interests.[3] The Palatine Public Library purchased the property in 1975 so that the Palatine Historical Society could rehabilitate it and maintain it as a public museum.[2] On March 21, 1979, the house was recognized by the National Park Service with a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Today it is still operated as a museum on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. It is operated by the historical society and maintained by the Palatine Park District.[4]
The house is one of fewer than two dozen buildings in Palatine that are at least 125 years old. It was almost certainly based on a design in a pattern book. Customary to the Second Empire design motif, the house features a prominent Mansard roof. The first floor features a parlor, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, and library. The second floor had five bedrooms. The wood-frame house sits on a brick foundation.[2]