Bowman House
405 S. Fourth Street

Captain Francis H. Bowman built this residence in 1852, seven years after he arrived in St. Charles from his native Vermont. Soon after his arrival, he opened his own hardware store. Later, he and John Lloyd established the Bowman and Lloyd foundry. He held a number of political positions, established the Kane County National Bank, and served in the Fifty-Second Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War, participating in the battle of Shiloh.

The house, an example of Gothic Revival architecture, still stands. Inside, the house boasts a spiral staircase. Little has been changed except for the family room, added during the 20th century. The Bowman House has been greatly admired over the years, so much so that Better Homes and Gardens featured the home as "House of the Year" in the November of 1942 issue. The most recent owners, the Hohms, bought the house in 1967. The residence still captures attention--it was part of the Autumn Homes Tour in September 1998.

For additional photographs, see these sources, more fully described in the Bibliography.

St. Charles of Illinois
Historic Houses Vertical File

Also see...

Camp Kane
Minard's Hall and Judge Barry's Law Office

Sources

• "Autumn Homes." Kane County Chronicle 26 Aug. 1998, C:1:2.
  
• Biographical Record of Kane County. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1898.
  
• "Historical Fact--Captain Francis H. Bowman Family." Kane County Chronicle 26 Aug. 1998, C:1:2.
  
• Badger, David Alan. St. Charles of Illinois. Havana: David Alan Badger, 1985.