The 135-year-old Victorian residence at 325 N. Prairie St. is now an official Galesburg Local Landmark after City Council approval this week.
The designation protects the home’s architectural features and recognizes the humanitarian work of Inez Webster, who grew up in the house and went on to serve children in Galesburg, wartime France, and Armenian and Russian orphanages abroad.
Owned by Ward 5 Alderperson Heather Acerra and her husband Michael — owners of Galesburg-based toy company Lux Blox — the home was built in 1890 for merchant James Edwin Webster by builders Beedle and Grant. James Edwin Webster operated a hat and fur shop in downtown Galesburg and later constructed an apartment building and hotel, both since demolished. Acerra and architectural historian Andrew Elders believe William Wolfe, the city’s leading architect of the era, designed the house.
After attending Lombard College, Inez Webster worked for the Galesburg and Knox County Free Kindergarten Home. During World War I she volunteered as a YMCA canteen worker in France. In the 1920s she worked for the Near East Relief Service, running an orphanage near Beirut, Lebanon, for Armenian refugees and later directing what was then the world’s largest orphanage in modern-day Armenia.
Acerra applied for the designation to preserve both the structure and Inez Webster’s legacy. In her Oct. 20 letter to the Landmark Commission, Acerra described Webster as “a true humanitarian and a woman who lived her Christian values in a way which was most unique and particularly adventurous for a woman of her time.”
The Landmark Commission unanimously recommended approval Nov. 4 with no public comment received. City Manager Eric Hanson and Community Development Director Steve Gugliotta concurred with the recommendation.
Galesburg now has 26 Local Landmarks.
“When a property is granted Local Landmark status, it protects the historic integrity of the structure’s exterior, ensuring its preservation for future generations,” Community Development Director Steve Gugliotta said. “Any improvement to a Local Landmark that is visible from a public way requires a Certificate of Appropriateness (C of A) from the Landmark Commission.
“Property owners present their ideas and plans to the Commission and participate in a process that allows them to make updates and repairs to historic properties, while maintaining the character and architectural qualities.”
Cosmetic items such as paint colors, storm doors and windows, and window air conditioners are exempt from review.
The designation has no budgetary impact and, according to the city, strengthens the local economy by preserving property values, attracting tourists and promoting investment in Galesburg.
The property will be recorded at the Knox County Recorder of Deeds as the “Webster Family Home.”
Galesburg’s 26 Local Landmarks
- Carl Sandburg Birthplace (1978) — 331 E. Third St.
- Central Congregational Church (1977) — 60 Public Square
- Chambers Street Historic District (1978)
- Dr. & Mrs. William H. Maley House (1988) — 422 N. Cherry St.
- Dr. George E. Luster House (1980) — 756 N. Broad St.
- Dr. W.S. Williamson House (1977) — 450 N. Kellogg St.
- George Lawrence House & Barn (1977) — 590 N. Prairie St.
- George W. Gale Home (1977) — 127 E. North St.
- Hope Cemetery (1980) — 64 S. Academy St.
- Isaac Burton Home (1985) — 774 N. Broad St.
- John C. Fahnestock House (1977) — 591 N. Prairie St.
- John C. Stewart House (1989) — 483 N. Kellogg St.
- John William Lescher House (1978) — 534 N. Broad St.
- Mayo General Chapel (2024) — 2231 Windish Dr.
- Nehemiah West Home (1980) — 288 N. Broad St.
- Old Brooks St. Fire Station (1986) — 564 E. Brooks St.
- Old Central Fire Station (1977) — 150 E. Simmons St.
- Old City Hall (1977) — 161 S. Cherry St.
- Old Knox County Jail (1977) — 337 S. Cherry St.
- Patch-Sisson House (1977) — 435 N. Kellogg St.
- Smith-Moreland Mansion (1977) — 455 N. Prairie St.
- Stewart-Fairbairn Residence (2016) — 387 N. Kellogg St.
- Taylor Commercial Building (1977) — 62 S. Seminary St.
- W.S. Purington Home (1988) — 464 N. Prairie St.
- Webster Family Home (2025) — 325 N. Prairie St.
- Wedgewood House (1979) — 537 N. Academy St.
- Wilkins-Seacord Residence (1989) — 624 N. Cherry St.
The city also maintains the Chambers Street Historic District and several sites on the National Register of Historic Places, including Old Main at Knox College and the Galesburg Historic District.
