Godfrey in Madison County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Godfrey Mansion
Photographed By Jason Voigt, January 14, 2020
1. Godfrey Mansion Marker
"Although there is an occasional profile which suggests the Greek Revival, it is as [though] it were designed from a hazy memory…the atmosphere of the whole indicates a southern influence." - Historic American Buildings Survey, 1934
The Godfrey Mansion was built by Captain Calvin Riley in an area then known as Scarritt's Prairie. Benjamin Godfrey purchased the two-room home in 1834 and transformed it into a mansion with 14 rooms, seven fireplaces, limestone sinks, and pillared porches. The native limestone walls are 18 inches thick with structural timbers made from native trees. Godfrey's second wife Rebecca, along with children Julia and Benjamin, occupied the house for a number of years after the elder Benjamin's death in 1862. In 1895, Patrick Waters purchased the home from the Godfrey family. His son, William, farmed the property until his death in 1959. The Benjamin Godfrey Mansion was declared a national historic site by the Department of the Interior in 1934 and the Lewis & Clark Community College Foundation purchased the building in 1997.
Erected 2019 by Benjamin Godfrey Legacy Trail Committee (sponsored by Andy & Marilyn Kuhn). (Marker Number 9.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1834.
Location.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Lindbergh Relay Station (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Benjamin Godfrey (approx. ¾ mile away); Godfrey Cemetery (approx. 0.8 miles away); Monticello College (approx. 1.2 miles away); Benjamin Godfrey Memorial Chapel (approx. 1.2 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 3 miles away); Plank Road (approx. 3.2 miles away); North Alton Confederate Cemetery (approx. 3.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Godfrey.
More about this marker. This is the last of nine markers in the Benjamin Godfrey Legacy Trail series.
Photographed By Jason Voigt, January 14, 2020
2. Godfrey Mansion Marker
Located in the parking lot next to the mansion
Credits. This page was last revised on January 29, 2020. It was originally submitted on January 29, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 707 times since then and 153 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 29, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
