Historic Illinois Mansion Gets New Life After Sitting Vacant for Four Decades

Have you ever driven by this amazing house at 605 N State Street in Belvidere, Illinois, and thought, "Man that's a beautiful home, but does anyone actually live there?".

The technical answer is no. The Funderburg House has not had a family living within its walls for over 4 decades, but that does not mean it has gone unloved for over 40 years.

The History of The Funderburg House in Belvidere, Illinois

According to funderburghouse.org, this exquisite craftsman-style home was built back in 1906 by Belvidere native, and daughter of Civil War General Allen C. Fuller, Katherine Rhinehart. The home was purchased in the 1930s by Hugh K. and Alice Funderburg, who owned Keene-Belvidere Canning Company, (now known as K-B Farms), and the home remained in their family until it was donated to the
The Boone County Historical Society and Boone County Museum of History in 2019 by R. Robert Funderburg Jr., who also donated $1 million for its restoration and upkeep.

Since 2019, The Boone County Historical Society has been working to preserve the historic home, and is finally ready to reopen it to the public!

This incredible mansion has been lovingly preserved and remains set up just like Alice Funderburg left it, who was the last family member to live there until she passed in 1985.

The home may look like it's straight out of a  time capsule, but it has been brought up to today's code standards, all plumbing has been updated, and a hidden HVAC system has been added, so it is literally the perfect place to host your next grand event or just take a tour of a really cool old mansion.

To find tour prices and event rental information, go to funderburghouse.org.