Turney House

Turney House. . This house, retaining so much of the grandeur of early Springfield, was built in 1867. The builder was Mr. William A. Turney, who was born in Galena in 1832, married Maria Warren, and came to Springfield as a young man. Turney was an attorney and became clerk of the Supreme Court. The Springfield directory of 1869 records - "Turney, William A., clerk of the Supreme Court, 6th between Cass and Clay Sts.", In his early years as an attorney, Turney spent some time in the New Orleans area obtaining right of way for the Illinois Central Railroad. It was shortly after this that he built this house, and the effect of this trip to the Deep South is immediately obvious in the architecture of his home. The beautiful iron grill work of the balconies was brought here from the south, and the design and trim of the windows, with their inside shutters, suggest the French influence of New Orleans. , The house was one of the finest in Springfield at that time and became a center of the social life of the community. Mr. Turney died in 1875 and his wife in 1899. In 1921, the large central stairway was removed and the interior altered so that the home could be converted into four apartments. In 1945, the house was sold to Mr. William Frasco of Riverton. The house interior still retains much of its original grandeur, despite modifications to the 16 rooms. The home was purchased by the Butler family in 2000.