The Elijah Iles House

The Elijah Iles House is an early Greek Revival residence built about 1837. It originally stood one block west, which was then countryside well south of town., Iles was a city founder who helped move the state capital to Springfield in 1837. He built a large hotel, the American House, across from the new capitol, and in a successful effort to subdivide his property into what became known as Aristocracy Hill, he built this house. , Elijah and Malinda Iles lived here until 1841, selling to Robert Irwin, a merchant, banker, and close personal friend of Abraham Lincoln, whom Irwin and his wife, Clara, entertained socially many times during the future president's Springfield years. During Lincoln's presidential years, Robert managed his local finances., The E. A. Hall family lived here from 1891 until 1909. Mr. Hall was a prominent merchant and banker, and both he and his wife Frances were actively involved in Springfield's social and cultural life. Mrs. Hall was especially proud that she kept the house as it was in Springfield's early days. , In 1910 Latham and Lyna Souther purchased the house and moved it two miles south. They retained all its architectural details, testament to their appreciation for the house's history. That effort was the first historic preservation in Springfield. When it passed out of Souther hands in 1951, the house quietly languished and fell into disrepair until 1998 when it was moved to this site and restored for the public to tour.