page_title: Washington Park Historic District (Ottawa, Illinois)
section_title: William Reddick Mansion
hierarchical_section_title: Washington Park Historic District (Ottawa, Illinois) / Historic properties / William Reddick Mansion
caption_attribution_description: Reddick Mansion (Reddick's Library) in Ottawa, Illinois, USA, part of the Washington Park Historic District, U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
context_page_description: Washington Park Historic District, also known as Washington Square is a historic district in and around Washington Park in the city of Ottawa, Illinois, United States. Washington Park was the site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 and is surrounded by several historic structures. The park was platted in 1831 and the historic district was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
context_section_description: The Reddick Mansion, alternatively Reddick's Library, was constructed in or around 1856 by then-sheriff William Reddick. The building occupies the lot opposite the Third Appellate Court and cost $40,000 to construct. Reddick served in the Illinois State Senate and returned to live in Ottawa, and the house, when he left office. He was known as one of Ottawa's colorful characters of the day and as a humanitarian. It is reported that Reddick housed runaway slaves in his mansion as a "station" on the Underground Railroad. He lived in the mansion until died in 1885.
  Reddick's will stipulated that the mansion be turned into a public library upon his death and he left an endowment of $100,000 to help accomplish that goal. The public library was established in the Reddick Mansion in 1888 and served the city of Ottawa in that capacity until 1974. That year the library moved to new facilities and the Reddick Mansion Association was formed with the aims of restoring and maintaining the house. The Reddick Mansion is currently open to the public for tours.
  Architecturally the Reddick Mansion conforms to Italianate style, of which it is a fine example. The Reddick Mansion was designed by the architectural firm Olmsted & Nicholson. In the home's details, the brick and stone work, as well as the woodwork below the cornice and under the eaves are of particular architectural interest.
caption: C. 1856 William Reddick Mansion
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