Count's House

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The Count's House is a historic Greek Revival home in McHenry, Illinois. It is one of McHenry's oldest and most notable landmarks, and one of the finest preserved examples of Greek Revival architecture in McHenry County. It is the only building in McHenry listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1 History
2 Architecture
3 See also
4 References

[edit] History

Although its exact date of construction and original owner are unknown, the Count's House is believed to have been built prior to the Civil War. The plaque on the exterior denotes the house as being built circa 1860, but the architectural style shows evidence of earlier construction. The house has had several private owners throughout its history, the most notable being Count Oskar Bopp von Oberstadt, for whom the house is named. The Count's House was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance on June 3, 1982. A wrought iron fence was constructed around the entire perimeter of the property under new ownership in 2005.

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A photograph of the south facade in the 1960's.

[edit] Architecture

The Count's House is particularly distinct for its two faces, a quite rare feature for a Greek Revival. The north facade, facing Waukegan Road, consists of a portico with full two-story columns of the Doric order. The south facade, facing Main Street, consists of a two-story veranda with an upper balcony and several intricate mouldings. The six-over-six windows, balustrades, columns, door surrounds, and nearly all of the exterior moldings are original. The house's exterior walls consist entirely of double-wythe brick, with original double-hung windows over six feet in height. The only known major modifications to the house have been additions to its wing, the replacement of the column pedestals with brick, and the replacement of the original cedar shake with asphalt shingles. Other than these discrepancies, historic photographs show that the Count’s House remains much as it appeared in the early 1900s, if not earlier.