Galena’s Living History Alliance
Galena’s Living History Alliance is a local non-profit organization focusing on the history of Galena honoring it by researching the history of our participating homes, placing plaques identifying the date of construction, name and occupation of the original owner and telling the stories of the first owners.
Showcasing Galena’s historic homes
Architectural style
Over 200 homes in the GLHA plaque program showcase many exquisite architectural styles. From Italianate to Gothic Revival, Victorian, Federal and more these homes offer a glimpse into the past that cannot be experienced anywhere else.
Notable residents
Discover the many influential figures who once called our plaqued homes their own. Miners, generals, farmers and shopkeepers all called Galena home and shaped it into what it has become today.
Living history
Experience the past come to life as you explore each home’s unique story and the role of its owners in Galena’s history. Today we honor and recognize those pioneers with the beautiful plaques on their homes.
Plaque Program
Historic House Plaque Program
The Galena Living History Alliance (GLHA) is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the architectural heritage of Galena and Jo Daviess County. Our primary initiative, the Historic House Plaque Program, increases public awareness and appreciation of the area’s historic homes and buildings.
Is my home eligible for a historic plaque?
Any home built before 1930 is eligible for inclusion in the program. Over 200 buildings are currently in the GLHA plaque program. They range from log cabins, commercial buildings, stunning Italinates, and cozy miners’ cottages to stately Victorians.
A few examples of the architectural styles in the GLHA program.
William Reinwald House, 1847, Log cabin home
Charles Lowes House, c.1852, Miner’s cottage
RIchard seal house, 1871, Italianate
August J. Millhouse House, 1899, Victorian
Latest news from our blog
See our latest Facebook posts.
We update our Facebook page regularly with information about our homes, businesses and churches participating in the GLHA historic plaque program. Scroll down on the posts to see the latest posts.
Galena's Living History Alliance
A window into Galena's historic truth
Some stories are too beautiful to be forgotten.
Over the past few days, many of you have reached out after learning that a homeowner chose not to move forward with a historic plaque once they learned about the original owners of the house. We won't identify the home or the homeowners because this post isn't about them. It's about two remarkable women whose story deserves to be told.
Sarah and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Virtue were born to William and Elizabeth Reed Virtue on the family farm in Rawlins Township. Sarah was born in 1853 and Lizzie in 1867. Neither woman ever married.
In 1893, the sisters bought land and built a home in Galena so they could care for their mother, the woman who had cared for them throughout their childhood. It was an act of love and devotion that would come to define their lives.
But their story doesn't end there.
In 1900, tragedy struck the Virtue family when their brother's wife died in Utah, from a blood clot while giving birth to a baby girl named Clara. Sarah and Lizzie opened their home and their hearts, taking Clara in and raising her as their own. They became the only mother figures she would ever know.
For decades, the three shared a life together. After Sarah's death, Lizzie and Clara eventually moved to California, where Clara cared for her dear aunt during the final years of her life.
And so the story comes full circle.
First, Sarah and Lizzie cared for the mother who raised them. Then they raised Clara after she lost her own mother. And finally, Clara cared for Lizzie in her later years, returning the love she had received as a child.
Lizzie, the last surviving child of seven born to William and Elizabeth Virtue, passed away in 1948. Today she rests beside Clara in Monrovia, California.
At Galena's Living History Alliance, these are the stories that matter to us. Not because they are famous. Not because they changed the course of history. But because they remind us what history is really made of: love, sacrifice, family, and people quietly taking care of each other.
More than 130 years after Sarah and Lizzie built their home, their story is still touching hearts. We think that's exactly the kind of history worth preserving.
Planning to join us for the Galena Living History Walk on Saturday, October 17th?
If you're thinking about making a weekend of it, now is the time to reserve your lodging! Fall is one of the busiest and most beautiful times of the year in Galena, and accommodations fill up quickly.
And what could be more fitting than staying in one of Galena's beautiful historic homes while you're here? Imagine spending the day strolling through history and then relaxing in a beautifully restored historic property where you'll be pampered and welcomed like family.
You can browse some of Galena's finest historic bed and breakfasts and guest houses at galenabandb.org/
We can't wait to share this special day with you as we bring Galena's history to life!
Galena: Bed and Breakfast Capital of the Midwest – Bed & Breakfast Innkeepers of Galena
galenabandb.org
Find the perfect Inn or bed and breakfast in historic Galena, Illinois with the bed and breakfast innkeepers of Galena.
We’re on YouTube
See our latest YouTube videos here for insights into Galena’s history and more from our historians.
