Elgin in Kane County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Gifford-Davidson House
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 16, 2026
1. Gifford-Davidson House Marker
Built 1849-1850
James T. Gifford
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1849.
Location. 42° 2.061′ N, 88° 16.658′ W. Marker is in Elgin, Illinois, in Kane County. It is on Prairie Street east of Chapel Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 363 Prairie Street, Elgin IL 60120, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: James T. Giffords Log House (within shouting distance of this marker); Elgin Historic District (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Davidson Park (about 300 feet away); W.W. I Memorial Davidson Park (about 300 feet away); The Log Cabin Home of James T. Gifford (about 300 feet away); a different marker also named Elgin Historic District (about 400 feet away); Gifford Park (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Gifford Park (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Elgin.
More about this marker. Most modern sources call it the Gifford-Davidson House after Elgin's founder, James Gifford, who built it, and his daughter Caroline Davidson, who inherited
this page online
Gifford Park, a block north of here, sits on land donated to Elgin by Gifford and his wife in 1844. Davidson Memorial Park, a half-block west, features two different memorials to James Gifford's original log cabin.
Regarding Gifford-Davidson House. James T. Gifford settled here from Upstate New York in 1835 and named it Elgin, after a Scottish hymn. Gifford's first home, a log cabin, stood about a block west of here in what is now Davidson Park, and his second was a short distance west of there; both of those buildings are gone. This third home was completed right before his death in 1850.
According to the Illinois Historic Sites Survey's 1980 submission to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the original home had one story with cobblestone walls; a northern section of the home and a second story were added sometime before 1871. The relatively unique cobblestone construction is an import from Upstate New York, where this was a common building practice. The property originally covered a full city block and included servants' quarters and a carriage house, none of which remain. In 1903 the home was remodeled into apartments.
The mason
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 16, 2026
2. Gifford-Davidson House
The home is also commonly known as the Stone Cottage.
The building is also listed a contributing structure for Elgin Historic District, which is also on the the NRHP.
Also see . . . NRHP registration form for the Gifford-Davidson House. The home is called the Stone Cottage in this submission. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980; it is also a contributing structure to the Elgin Historic District. (Submitted on May 20, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 18, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1. submitted on May 18, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 2. submitted on May 20, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
