The
Fitzpatrick House is an unusually fine example of early local limestone
construction. It is one of less than a dozen stone farmhouses which
survive in Will County outside the towns of Lockport, Lemont, and Joliet,
and among these has exceptionally fine Greek Revival details and
craftsmanship. Stone houses on Route 53 to the north and south of the
Fitzpatrick House were probably constructed later in the nineteenth
century and have little or no architectural detailing to compare with the
Fitzpatrick House's heavy lintels, pedimented gable, excellently crafted
rusticated quoins, and front door with transom and sidelights. Most of the
other farmhouses which survive from the 1830s to 1850s period of
settlement are frame. Few retain the architectural integrity of the
Fitzpatrick House.
It is an
exceptionally fine example of vernacular architecture using an indigenous
material, although no architect or builder has been identified. It is
probable that the limestone was quarried on site since the Fitzpatrick
holdings contained rich limestone deposits. The use of this local material
ties the building to Will County's economic and architectural heritage and
helps to establish it as a landmark of local significance.
The site of
the Fitzpatrick House makes it an important local landmark which expresses
continuity with the transportation and economic heritage of the Lockport
area. Fitzpatrick located his house on the stage route from Chicago to
Ottawa, Illinois. This early public highway was one of few in Northeastern
Illinois opened by 1834, the year Fitzpatrick purchased his farm. The road
(IL 53) was on the site of an early Indian trail and portage route of fur
traders. The Fitzpatrick House has been a landmark on this early road
since its construction in the 1840s. The nominated site was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places on February 9, 1984.*
The Patrick
Fitzpatrick House was designated a Will County Historic Landmark on
January 18, 2002.
