Alexis Phelps House

Alexis Phelps House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Rear and southern side
Location	On Mississippi River, Oquawka, Illinois
Coordinates	40°56′20.5″N 90°57′19.5″W / 40.939028°N 90.955417°WCoordinates: 40°56′20.5″N 90°57′19.5″W / 40.939028°N 90.955417°W
Area	Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	c. 1833
Built by	Alexis Phelps
NRHP Reference #	82002537[1]
Added to NRHP	April 28, 1982

The Alexis Phelps House is a historic home located on the Mississippi River in Oquawka, Illinois, United States. The New England style house was built in 1832-1833 by Alexis Phelps, a fur trader and one of the first settlers of the region. Phelps, who was born in Palmyra, New York, settled on a piece of land known as Yellow Banks, which his brother Stephen had purchased in 1828. Alexis and Stephen Phelps founded Oquawka, which they named for the Native American name for Yellow Banks, in 1836. Stephen A. Douglas, who frequently presided over the Henderson County Circuit Court, stayed in the house during his visits to Oquawka.^[2][3] The house was also rumored to be a stop on the Underground Railroad.^[4]

The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 28, 1982.^[1] The Henderson County Historical Society rehabilitated the house in the 1980s, saving it from demolition.^[4] The historical society now leases the house for events.^[3]

References

1. National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. Allaman, John H.; Michael Ward (1980). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Phelps, Alexis, House" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
3. "Recreation and Tourist Information". Oquawka, Illinois. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
4. "The Henderson County Historical Society". Illinois History. April 1999. Retrieved October 12, 2013.

External links

• Henderson County Economic Development Corporation - Historic Sites & Landmarks