Hellman House
This cache was placed with permission of the homeowner. The cache is located on street level. You do not need to enter the yard to locate the cache, but please look. The flower gardens and landscaping are beautiful.
Hellman House, built with Galena brick in 1895, is named after John V. Hellman, a wealthy merchant, who built the home and lived in it with his wife, Wenona, and their three daughters, Pauline, Irene, and Eleanor. Both John and Wenona’s fathers were self-made men.
The home is located high above Main Street Galena on what is known as Quality Hill. There are several fine mansions overlooking the downtown area. The appropriately named High Street runs behind these mansions. There are more beautiful mansions on the other side of High Street and in the blocks to the west of the hilltop. I recommend a walking tour of the area. Grant’s Pre Civil War home is within sight from Hellman house, up the block toward the Lutheran Church. It is just past the cottage with the Tin Man and Dinosaur in the front yard.
John’s father, John H. Hellman, left his family at age eleven, worked on a farm in Iowa, and finally moved to Galena, where he found success in the retail grocery business. Wenona’s father, Captain Daniel Smith Harris, was one of Galena’s most important steamboat magnates. With their roots firmly planted in Galena, and John V. a success in his own right, the Hellman family lived in late Victorian splendor in their nine-room home. Their legacy remains for you to enjoy.
The third floor was originally built as a ballroom where the Hellman family entertained guests. From there, you can enjoy miles of scenery that include a breathtaking view of farms dotted along the JoDaviess countryside, trees dressed in a rainbow of colors, especially in the fall, and the historic downtown Galena.
The home retains its original stained glass windows, original woodwork, five fireplaces and sliding pocket doors. The original dining room set was recently brought back to the home.
The home is listed on the National Register.