Herrick Cobblestone
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Herrick Cobblestone | |
 Herrick Cobblestone in 2007 | |
   | |
| Location | 2127 Broadway, Rockford, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°15′8″N 89°3′44″W / 42.25222°N 89.06222°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1847 |
| Built by | Elijah L. Herrick |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 80001423[1] |
| Added to NRHP | May 14, 1980 |
The Herrick Cobblestone is a historic cobblestone residence in Rockford, Illinois. It may be the oldest house in Rockford.
The area around the Illinois-Wisconsin border once had the largest population of cobblestone houses outside of New York City. However, very few remain—the Illinois Historic Sites Survey in 1978 identified only two remaining. Cobblestone houses were popular among individuals who worked on the Erie Canal, and the style came to the border region from New York migrants. Little is known about original resident Elijah L. Herrick. Because of the nature of his house, it has been suggested that Herrick was a cobblestone mason. The stones are from the nearby Rock River. Herrick came from Massachusetts to Rockford in the mid-1830s, though he probably stopped in New York on the way and came to learn of the style.[2] The house was recognized by the National Park Service with a listing on the National Register of Historic Places on May 14, 1980.[1] It has been recognized as the oldest house in the city since the 1967 demolition of the Daniel Shaw Haight House (1842), although this has been disputed by a historian.[3]
