The John Wood Mansion was built between 1835 and 1838 by John Wood, who in 1860 became the 12th governor of Illinois on the death of Governor William Bissell. The Wood family moved into the

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

home situated at 12th and State Streets in

Quincy, Illinois Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted a population of 39,463 in the city itself, down from 40,633 in 2010. ...

from an unusual two-story log cabin in 1837. Quincy is the county seat of Adams County. Wood founded both the county (1825) and city (1835). Wood's 14-room mansion was built by John Cleaveland and endured a move from its original site to its current location, about a block east, so Wood could build an even larger mansion. The Greek Revival building was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on April 17, 1970, and in 2007 was named by the Association of Independent Architects one of Illinois' 150 most important architectural structures. The John Wood Mansion features four large

Doric Doric may refer to: * Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece ** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians * Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture * Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode * Doric dialect (Scotland) * Doric ...

columns A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

, which Wood himself turned at a lathe he built for that purpose, four large

chimneys A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...

and many ornate details inside and out. A great many original Wood family and period furnishings are displayed throughout the mansion. Today it is owned and operated by the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County.John Wood Mansion
, Quincy's Local Landmarks and Historic Districts, City of Quincy, Official site. Retrieved Jan. 2007.
ref name = nris/> The house is open for public tours from April through October. The Society also offers educational tours of the house to all local 3rd and 4th grade students each year, as well as special candlelight tours open to the public in December. In celebration of the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial, the John Wood Mansion was selected as one of the Illinois 200 Great Places by the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

Illinois component (AIA Illinois).

Notes

External links

National Register nominationHistorical Society of Quincy and Adams CountyJohn Wood MansionSociety of Architectural Historians SAH ARCHIPEDIA entry on John Wood Mansion
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wood, John, Mansion Houses in Adams County, Illinois Historic house museums in Illinois Museums in Adams County, Illinois National Register of Historic Places in Adams County, Illinois Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area Buildings and structures in Quincy, Illinois Tourist attractions in Quincy, Illinois

See also

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External links