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Christmas House Tour – December 10

Please join us for our popular annual Christmas House Tour! This year’s tour will be held on Tuesday, December 10 from 1-4 and 6-9 p.m. The following locations will be adorned in Christmas finery and open for tours this year. Locations include:

301 S. Pine Street

115 W. Holland Street

1511 Oak Ridge

114 Shadow Creek

1610 Fayette Avenue

Washington Historical Society

Paper tickets are required to enter the homes, so tickets purchased online via PayPal will need to be picked up at the Historical Society on the 10th before beginning the tour.

2024 Roots Recipient – Joyce Blumenshine

Each year, the Washington Historical Society honors an individual or individuals who spent a portion of their childhood in Washington and went on to make significant contributions in the field of science, government, arts, sports, business, or charitable work, law, or communications. Joyce Blumenshine was nominated and has been selected to receive this recognition. She was honored at a ceremony at the Historical Society on Thursday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m. where she presented a program about her life and life’s work.

Joyce’s nomination letter read, in part:

“You can’t fight city hall,” the old saying goes. But for more than four decades now, Washington native Joyce Blumenshine has been fighting city officials and state regulators, coal mines and power plants, pipelines and landfills. Against such formidable adversaries, this volunteer, a retired librarian, has even managed to score some victories. In fact, as in her successful eight-year battle against a proposed strip mine in Fulton County, local officials stood with her.

Joyce joined the Sierra Club in 1977. In 2022, she stepped down as the Sierra Club’s state conservation chair after about two decades in that role, but she is still very much involved. She’s vice chair now, still striving to preserve habitat and water quality and promote clean energy.

Joyce grew up in Washington, attending Washington Elementary and Washington Community High. After graduating from Eastern Illinois University, she obtained a master’s degree in library science from the University of Michigan.

She credits her mother and father, LaVerne and John H. Blumenshine, with instilling in her a sense of independence and an insistence on facts, even when they’re not popular.

WHS Adds to Public Art in Washington with Heyl Pony Sculpture

The Washington Historical Society unveiled a sculpture that honors the Heyl Pony Farm during a ceremony on September 8 at 2:00 p.m.

The Historical Society commissioned a bronze, life-sized Heyl Shetland pony and little girl with the help of private donors, Sharon and John Amdall, to help tell one of the stories of Washington’s storied past. The sculpture is located in Washington Park, across Lincoln Street from the tennis courts.

The sculpture entitled, The Act of Giving, honors the Heyl Pony Farm and their great legacy in Washington. Washington Park sits on land that was once part of the Heyl Pony Farm, creating a perfect setting for this bronze sculpture.

The sculpture itself was created by Jaci Willis, a well-known local artist and adjunct professor at Bradley University. Jaci’s work can be seen at Harrison School in Peoria, McDonough County, North Purdue University, the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, Chillicothe, and Bradley University, among others. Over the past few years, Jaci has been profiled in the Peoria Journal Star, Peoria Magazine, and on WTVP’s Consider This.

To read more about the Heyl Pony Farm, please click here.

Using the Historical Society Building

Have you been in the Historical Society’s building on the square? Then you know the space is beautiful and we have the best view of the square in town. We do rent the space to local civic organizations for meetings and to private citizens to use for small gatherings such as baby showers, retirement parties, etc. If you would like to find out more information about how you can rent our space, please contact the Historical Society at washingtonilhs@gmail.com.

Historic Washington

Dr. Harley Zinser Home

105 Zinser (Est. 1858)

Constructed in 1858, the home of Dr. Zinser features a Greek Revival structure and was designed to be a single family home with an office in the east parlor. Additions to the home were added later in the 1880’s and early 1900’s. It was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Though the Zinser House was owned by the Washington Historical Society for many years, today it is back in private ownership by a member of the Zinser Family. The House is a home once again.

Hiram Price Home

109 Burton (Est. 1867)

Although exact building records are questionable, the home at 109 Burton was originally built at 102 Burton in 1867 with an Italianate Structure by Hiram Price. Price served as Mayor of Washington from 1899-1901. In 1915, the home was purchased and moved to 109 Burton by Henry Denhart which later accommodated the First National Bank’s Money Store. After some renovations in recent years, the house still stands as a single family home in Washington. [1]

116 N. Elm

116 N. Elm (Est. 1898 or 1906)

The exact age of this historic home is unknown, however it is believed to have been constructed in either 1898 or 1906. It is a foursquare house and has been well-preserved over the years. Its past owners have included two Washington Mayors: John G. Gorin and Richard F. Tanton. [1][2]

Israel Zinser Home

307 E. Jefferson (Est. 1878)

Moving his family to Washington to become the City’s primary pharmacist, Israel Zinser built this house in 1878 for his family. The home has kept the same look and feel as it did in its day for over 130 years, the only exception being the porch that was added to the home in the early 20th century. The home remains in the Zinser family, as it has for five generations. [1][2]

Holland Home

312 S. Market (Est. Mid-1800's)

Like many historic homes, the exact date of construction on the home at 312 Market is hard to place. The front portion of the main level was constructed in 1870, and the upstairs and rear of the home were added in 1893. Still, the home has some pretty big historic significance for Washington, with its history dating back to the Matthew Holland, son of Hollands Grove Founder (later re-named to Washington), William Holland.[1]

What We Do

Acquire, Preserve, Display

The mission of this Society is to acquire, preserve, and display Washington’s history.