Larchmound

Larchmound is a house in Olney, Illinois, which was the home of ornithologist and botanist Robert Ridgway from 1913 until his death. The house was built in 1866; while its architecture does not entirely fit a specific style, its steep roofs suggest a Gothic influence. Ridgway moved to the home in 1913; the home was his second in the Olney area, as he had previously spent two summers at Bird Haven north of the city. While living at Larchmound, Ridgway wrote 27 of his published works, including three volumes of his most comprehensive book, The Birds of North and Middle America. Ridgway also conducted botanical research and planted tree specimens at both Larchmound and Bird Haven; while the land surrounded Bird Haven was inundated by a lake in 1970, many of Ridgway's original plantings survive on the remaining 2.69 acres (1.09 ha) at Larchmound.^[2]

Larchmound
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The driveway leading to Larchmound
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Location	1030 S. Morgan St., Olney, Illinois
Coordinates	38°43′11″N 88°4′53″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1866 (1866)
Architectural style	Gothic
NRHP reference No.	80001406[1]
Added to NRHP	January 3, 1980

The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 3, 1980.^[1] Sadly the property, which had fallen into disrepair, was demolished the week of June 23, 2024.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. Dunne, Shaela C.; Erik Robinson (August 1, 1979). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Larchmound" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 10, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2013.