The Dudley House
The Dudley House, or the McFarland-Dudley House, as it is officially called in the National Register of Historic Places is located at 895 Seventh Street, Charleston, Illinois. The history and architecture of the house illustrate the lives of an established and affluent family in a rural midwestern town in the early twenties century.
During the last decade of the nineteenth century, Charleston underwent substantial residential development south of the town square towards Eastern Illinois State Normal School, now Eastern Illinois University, which was open in 1899. The Dudley House was a part of this surge. It was built in 1892 when the lot was owned by Mamie F. and Corey F. McFarland. The McFarlands commissioned the work to Charles D. Mitchell, an established Charleston builder. Mitchell built the house in Queen Anne Revival style -- an architectural form prevalent in the United States for homes built between 1880 and 1900.
After it was built, it was changed hands often, until it was purchased by Dr. and Mrs. G. B. Dudley in 1920. The Dudleys lived there until Mrs. Dudley's death in 1960. The Dudley's first child, Tilford Eli Dudley, inherited the house. He used the house as a rental property. On September 15, 1982, Tilford Dudley gave the house to the Coles County Historical Society.
The Coles County Historical Society raised funds and underwent renovation project between 1982 and 1988. Today, the house stands in its original glory. It is the headquarters of the Coles County Historical Society. The house is open to the public for holding social and business meetings. It is available on a donation basis for public use at the Coles County's Historical Society's discretion.
View the Tilford E. Dudley Digital Archives Project by clicking here.
Start the tour Contact the Coles County Historical Society The Dudley Family
