From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Birthplace of Ronald Reagan
Birthplace of Ronald Reagan
Birthplace of Ronald Reagan History
U.S. Historic district The building where the 40th U.S. President, Ronald Rea-
Contributing property
gan, was born was constructed in 1896 for G.W. Stauffer
by Fred Harvey Seymour and later became known as the
"Graham Building."[1][2] From 1896-1915 the first floor of
the building housed a tavern while the second floor con-
tained an apartment. On October 1, 1906 Jack and Nelle
Reagan moved into the apartment above the tavern. The
Reagans had two sons while they lived in the apartment.
In 1908, they had their first son, John Neil Reagan. Their
second son, Ronald Wilson Reagan, was born on February
6, 1911 inside the second floor apartment. The Reagans
lived at the address from 1906 until May 5, 1911 when
they moved into a house on Glassburn Street, also in
Tampico. While the Reagans lived in Tampico, Jack was
Ronald Reagan’s birthplace (center). employed at the H.C. Pitney Variety Store, across the
Location: Tampico, Whiteside County, Illinois, USA street from the Reagan Birthplace in the 100 block of
Main Street.[2]
Coordinates: 41°37′52″N 89°47′9″W / 41.63111°N
The Reagans were in Tampico until Pitney’s store
89.78583°W / 41.63111;
-89.78583Coordinates: 41°37′52″N 89°47′9″W closed in 1914, after which they settled in Chicago, Gales-
/ 41.63111°N 89.78583°W / 41.63111; burg and Monmouth for various periods of time. Pitney’s
-89.78583 store reopened in 1919 and the Reagans returned to
Built: 1896
Tampico for a short time, where they lived in an apart-
ment above the store. Pitney’s store again closed and on
Architect: Fred Harvey Seymour (builder) December 6, 1920 the Reagans moved to Dixon, Illinois
Governing Private owner where they occupied the house that would later be
body: known as the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home.[2]
From 1915-1919 the building housed a bakery. The
Part of: Tampico Main Street Historic District
(#82002602) First National Bank located in the structure in 1919,
where it remained until 1931. The bank’s owner and pres-
Added to June 3, 1982 ident, R.F. Woods, served as mayor of Tampico from
NRHP:
1917-1919.[2] In 1968 the building was purchased by Paul
Nicely and his wife. After Mrs. Nicely died the building
Reagan,
The Birthplace of Ronald Reagan also known as the Gra-
was put up for sale in 2003 and purchased by WPW Part-
Building,
ham Building is located in an apartment on the second
ners of Chicago.[1]
floor of a late 19th century commercial building in
Tampico, Illinois, United States. The building was built in
1896 and housed a tavern from that time until 1915. On Architecture
February 6, 1911 the 40th President of the United States, The Reagan Birthplace is similar to most of the commer-
Ronald Reagan, was born in the apartment above the tav- cial buildings along Tampico’s Main Street. It is brick,
ern. The Reagans would move out of the apartment and two-stories tall, has three second story windows and a
into a house in Tampico a few months after Ronald was cornice. Only the area’s oldest buildings differ from the
born. Architecturally, the two story brick building is sim- Reagan Birthplace’s metal cornices and flat headed win-
ilar to its neighboring buildings, all of which are part dows.[3]
of a historic district in Tampico. The historic district, to
which the Reagan Birthplace is considered a contributing
property, was added to the U.S. National Register of His- Significance
toric Places in 1982. The structure known as Ronald Reagan’s Birthplace is
most notable for being the place where Ronald Reagan
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Birthplace of Ronald Reagan
which occupied the property from 1919-1931. On the sec-
ond floor the apartment has been restored to the period
when Reagan was born. The site offers tours to the public
and is listed as a "significant" contributing property to
the Tampico Main Street Historic District.[2] The Main
Street Historic District was added to the U.S. National
Register of Historic Places on June 3, 1982.[4]
Footnotes
[1] ^ Birthplace of President Ronald Reagan, (Brochure),
Tampico Historical Society, Tampico, Illinois.
[2] ^ Ward, p. 4.
[3] Ward, p. 5.
[4] National Register Information System, National
Register of Historic Places, National Park Service.
Retrieved 10 July 2007.
References
• Ward, Michael. "Main Street Historic District," (PDF),
National Register of Historic Places Nomination
Form, 1 April 1982, HAARGIS Database, Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan was born in a second
floor apartment of what is today a restored early 20th century External links
bank.
• Information about touring the museum
was born on February 6, 1911.[2] The building’s first floor
interior has been restored as the First National Bank,
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Birthplace_of_Ronald_Reagan&oldid=471603470"
Categories:
• Historic district contributing properties
• Houses completed in 1896
• Ronald Reagan Trail
• Main Street Historic District (Tampico, Illinois)
• Ronald Reagan
• Historic house museums in Illinois
• Museums in Whiteside County, Illinois
• Presidential homes in the United States
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