The once stately home on the hill at 522 East Main Street in Danville sits empty and lonely this Thanksgiving weekend with numerous additions, remodels, owners and residents since it was built in the mid-1800s and sold by the Harmon family in the late 1800s.
But at one time, before the columns and porches out front were added, the L-shaped farmhouse belonging to Oscar F. Harmon and family was a busy place filled with family and friends. Since the fall session of Illinois’ 8th Circuit Court was held at this time of year, attorneys from all over the state were in town at Thanksgiving time. Harmon and his law partner Oliver Davis would invite the visiting and in-town attorneys to join them for a Thanksgiving feast. They would alternate years hosting between the Harmon home on East Main and the Davis residence on Vermilion Street where the Cannon Building now stands. Mrs. Harmon and Mrs. Davis, who were cousins and best friends would prepare the meals, often with the help of a hired cook for the large number of guests. Both homes were decorated in the latest Victorian styles. You can imagine the aroma of the turkeys, prairie chickens, and side dishes wafting through the house, as the guests talked politics, told jokes, listened to music and shared good times at an observance, which one of the regular attendees, Abraham Lincoln would later turn into a National Holiday.
While Lincoln was by far the most well-known name among the attorneys attending, the Presiding Judge, 300-lb David Davis of Bloomington, whom Lincoln as President would appoint to the U.S. Supreme Court also took a seat at the table. Others included Leonard Swett, Ward Hill Lamon, Lyman Trumbull, Henry Clay Whitney, Owen Lovejoy, Usher Linder, Jesse Fell, Samuel Treat, Shelby Cullom and Edward Hannegan, along with friends and family from the area. Many of those people would make national names of themselves in politics, law or in the military.
One fall session when the McCormick House was closed because of a “contagious fever,” not only did the future President celebrate Thanksgiving with the Harmon family, but he also spent each night of the court term with the Harmons as the lawyers were “farmed” out to stay in the homes of various attorneys and court officials. According to family history, Lincoln slept in the home’s northwest corner bedroom, and felt comfortable enough to make himself at home. He spent time visiting with the family where he shared his stories, listened to the Harmon’s daughters sing and play the piano, and of course had a nice Thanksgiving meal with the family. This time in the Harmon home helped develop a lasting friendship that would grow between the families. The Harmons also visited with the Lincolns in their home in Springfield, while O.F. Harmon was the area’s State representative in the late 1850’s.
After the Civil War broke out, O.F. Harmon served as Colonel of the 125th Illinois Infantry. He expressed his loneliness each year at Thanksgiving away from home and missing his friends, family and his “Little Farm” on the edge of Danville. In the summer of 1864, Colonel Harmon was killed at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain on the bloodiest day of the war for Vermilion County. Word of his death was brought to the home by Mrs. Harmon’s sister, Caroline, her cousin Sarah and their husbands Victor Leseure and Oliver Davis. One of the largest funerals in Vermilion County at the time was held for the Colonel on July 10, 1864. Not only did the family suffer the loss of O.F. Harmon, but daughter Eleanor, who had played the piano for Abraham Lincoln lost her fiancé, Captain William Fellows on the same day her father died.
In 1881, Bess Harmon sold the house and the 30 acres of land was divided into parcels.
Over the years, the property has been developed into various businesses and homes, and the through the years, the home itself has been a residence, a funeral home, a drug rehab center, a restaurant, and a bridal shop. The future of the property is now uncertain as the latest owner is an out-of-state investment firm.
The author of the article, local historian Larry Weatherford, who has researched the Harmon family extensively over the years and has examined the property to find the home’s original architectural “footprint” says that “As almost everyone says, it would be a shame to see this remaining piece of Danville history destroyed, and it would be great to see someone purchase the home, restore and turn into a residence again. But that’s pretty doubtful based on the condition of the property and the cost. However, since Colonel Harmon died on a hill in Georgia in the Civil War, perhaps grants and donations could be explored to bring the home back down to its original size and make it a museum. One suggestion I’ve heard would be an African-American History Museum. Any development is probably a long-shot at this point, but there’s so much history within those walls. The first step would be to find out the plans of the current owners who purchased the property for a couple of thousand dollars.”