This house was built by Thomas F. McIlroy in 1891.
Thomas F. McIlroy was born in Fayette County, Kentucky on July 13, 1820 to Daniel and Jane (Wiseley) McIlroy. He was the oldest of seven children. Daniel moved his family to Pike County, Missouri in 1831. He began farming, like his father before him, in 1846. He owned a seventy acre farm in Calumet township. The farm was a gift from his maternal grandfather. He cultivated this land for forty five years. His farm grew during that time to a total of 260 acres. He was a very successful farmer , in general, but his specialty was growing fruit trees. In 1891, he moved to Louisiana and built this house at a cost of $2,300. It has a unique “Butler’s Bell” which has its foot pedal located in the dining room floor.
Thomas F. McIlroy married Letitia Henry on November 18, 1845. They had 3 children: John W., Edna A., and George C.. Letitia died on August 3, 1853. McIlroy then married Lucretia Henry. She passed away on May 30, 1855. He was married a third time to Miss Jane Martin on March 2, 1857. She died on January 10, 1858. He was married for the fourth and final time, to Elizabeth Stark, on February 3, 1859. Elizabeth had nine children when she married Thomas. Together, Elizabeth and Thomas had four more children: Henry T., Ella A., William S., and Elizabeth L.
He was a member of the Democratic party and was elected as a Democrat to the position of Road Overseer. He was a successful farmer and businessman. He was the owner of a lot of valuable real estate in the city of Louisiana. ” He has aided largely in the development of the agricultural interests of the county, has dealt honestly and uprightly with his fellow men, and as a consequence has their entire confidence and high regard. 1
This house has undergone quite a bit of renovation. In the 1950s, the owners created a 15’x 18′ addition to the rear of the house to expand the master bedroom and make room for a new kitchen. Since 2002, the house has had the wooden siding replaced with vinyl and shutters added.