Larchmound

History

Larchmound is a house in Olney, Illinois, which was the home of ornithologist and botanist Robert Ridgway from 1913 until his death. The house was built in 1866; while its architecture does not entirely fit a specific style, its steep roofs suggest a Gothic influence. Ridgway moved to the home in 1913; the home was his second in the Olney area, as he had previously spent two summers at Bird Haven north of the city. While living at Larchmound, Ridgway wrote 27 of his published works, including three volumes of his most comprehensive book, The Birds of North and Middle America. Ridgway also conducted botanical research and planted tree specimens at both Larchmound and Bird Haven; while the land surrounded Bird Haven was inundated by a lake in 1970, many of Ridgway's original plantings survive on the remaining 2.69 acres (1.09 ha) at Larchmound.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Larchmound”, CC BY-SA 4.0.

About Robert Ridgway

Robert Ridgway was an American ornithologist specializing in systematics. He was appointed in 1880 by Spencer Fullerton Baird, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, to be the first full-time curator of birds at the United States National Museum, a title he held until his death. In 1883, he helped found the American Ornithologists' Union, where he served as officer and journal editor. Ridgway was an outstanding descriptive taxonomist, capping his life work with The Birds of North and Middle America. In his lifetime, he was unmatched in the number of North American bird species that he described for science. As technical illustrator, Ridgway used his own paintings and outline drawings to complement his writing. He also published two books that systematized color names for describing birds, A Nomenclature of Colors for Naturalists (1886) and Color Standards and Color Nomenclature (1912). Ornithologists all over the world continue to cite Ridgway's color studies and books.

From the Wikipedia article “Robert Ridgway”, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Visiting

This building is recorded as a residence of the people listed; it may be privately owned and not open to the public. Opening times, tickets and access change, so check the official website before you travel. Get directions.