Will County's Historic Landmarks
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Historic Landmark Registry - Steiber House |
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The Steiber House, in Crete, Illinois was originally built by Carl Wilhelm Steiber who emigrated to the U.S. from Hessen, Germany in 1847. Steiber established his Will County farmstead in 1871.
Based upon the information yielded by Steiber's mortgage deed (dated November 6, 1871) and release of deed (dated November 13, 1875), it is believed that the nominated house was built approximately 1872. The farmstead of the house, which is occupied by horses and cattle, has never been changed from its agricultural zoning.
According to one of Steiber's descendants, part of the property the Steibers farmed and hunted was originally homesteaded. Steiber's fields were plowed by horses using the efforts of his eight children. The family raised some livestock, and the family's menu was often supplemented by wild game, partly due to the duck pond across the road. Deer, pheasants, and rabbits were a common meal. Trips to the store were infrequent. Eventually, the Steibers began raising horses for the Chicago Teamsters and began sending them, by rail, to Chicago for sale.
In 1926, the Steibers sold the farm to Balmoral Racetrack, then known as Lincoln Fields, for $225.00 per acre. At that time, Lincoln Fields was a very prominent racetrack running some of the most famous horses of all time such as Man O'War and Nasrullah. Although not documented, it has been said that some very lively post-race festivities took place at the house, and that people who stayed in the Steiber house included Lucille Ball, Robert Mitchum, and James Cagney.
During the mid-twentieth century, the house was divided from the original 495-acre parcel of land and currently sits on one acre. The landscape has changed little. The red and white oak trees situated on the nominated site's property reflect the landscape characteristics of the adjacent rural property. There is one endangered species which can be found on the property and that is the Mausaga rattlesnake. According to the Field Museum in Chicago, it is the only one found in the Crete area.
The Steiber house basement construction is post and beam, also known as heavy frame construction. Basement exterior walls are three feet thick However, many larger pieces of wood, including posts, show signs of being hand hewn by ax. Sills measure 12x14 inches and posts are 8x8 and 10x12. Interior floors are hardwood and doors are four panel hardwood with ornate Victorian knobs. In 1910, under the supervision of the Steibers, this Upright and Wing house was remodeled by a Mr. Klemme, a Crete resident, to exhibit Victorian stylish detail which included bay windows on the north and west sides of the house, and leaded glass pocket doors. In 1926, bathrooms and an interior kitchen to replace the outdoor "summer kitchen" were added. During the 1960s, the house was abandoned and sustained some vandalism. Until the mid-1970s, the house continued to be owned by the Balmoral Racetrack but was rented to a caretaker. At that time, it was sold to a Merlin Karlock when it again became a cattle ranch. Finally, in 1983, the house was purchased by its current owners and several interior and exterior alterations have been made in an effort to preserve and restore the house's original appearance.
Architecturally, the Steiber house's vernacular design, with the subsequent addition of Victorian features, exhibits the influence of modern architecture upon Crete Township's residential buildings. The house is significant locally because it provides physical evidence of Crete Township's development as a farming community.
The house was designated a Will County landmark on October 19, 2000.
Historic Name: Carl Wilhelm Steiber House
Common Name: Wayfarer Farm
Location: Crete, IL
This landmark is located on private property and permission must be granted by the property owner to view the landmark in its entirety.)
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