By Ben Cox
The summer barbecue is one of the United States’ oldest and most celebrated traditions. Cooking meat in an open pit and having all sorts of garden-variety vegetables along with special side dishes for the family and neighborhood to gather together in the warmth of the sun is about as pure Americana as one can get. Jacksonville has long been a part of this age-old tradition.
Governor Joseph Duncan and his family moved to Jacksonville from Brownsville in 1830 and then settled into their Georgian mansion on the west side of Jacksonville in 1835 after nearly two years of construction.
From Gov. Duncan and Mrs. Duncan’s diaries: “June, 1837, we entertained Daniel Webster, his wife, and niece. Mr. Duncan gave him a barbecue down in the grove, northwest of the house; roasted a steer whole. (The old tree under which he stood was in the center of Lafayette Avenue and Groghan Street and has since died.) Webster made a most eloquent speech, as was his wont. He took the people by storm. Cheer after cheer echoed and reechoed through the grove. Having a little baby girl three weeks old, I did not venture on the ground. We had a delightful evening. T.M. Post and wife, Judge and Mrs. S. D. Lockwood, their lovely niece, Miss Mary Nash, were present, and many others.”
After Gov. Duncan’s death in January 1844 and his wife Elizabeth’s death in 1862, the home continued to serve the City of Jacksonville and the State of Illinois.
It became the home for Feeble Minded Children from 1865-1875 but was soon moved to Lincoln, Illinois due to overcrowding. The move would later establish the Lincoln Developmental Center. Portions of the Duncan grounds also went towards the early founding of the Deaf and Dumb Institution, later known as the Illinois School for the Deaf.
The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 5, 1971. It’s currently owned and operated by the Rev. James Caldwell Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. Founded in June 2000, The Governor Duncan Association (GDA) has taken on a unique and consequential role in the civic, cultural and educational life of the community.
One of its main purposes is to help support the maintenance and upkeep of the historic Duncan Mansion. The GDA’s volunteer board of directors – drawn from the neighborhood, city appointments, community at large and DAR representatives – governs the membership and works diligently to fulfill the organization’s multifaceted purpose.
The mission of the GDA includes fostering closer relations between the mansion/Duncan Park area and the community, developing a broad base of community and financial support for the mansion and park, serving as a means of disseminating information about the historic site and the Duncan Family and their contemporaries, encouraging the mansion/park area’s use as a center for the educational, cultural and civic life of the community and assisting the Rev. James Caldwell Chapter and Jacksonville city government in restoring, improving and expanding the mansion/park area’s facilities, resources and services.
Since its inception, the association has raised over $300,000 in donations from the community through fundraising events as well as $100,000 in grants to assist in this mission.
Money raised from all these sources has enabled most recently the complete restoration of the mansion’s west porte-cochere and brick-paved drive, renovation of the east façade’s upper and lower porches, tuck-pointing of the structure’s massive chimneys, foundation repairs, painting of the exterior and shutters, and reglazing of its windows.
Future projects envisioned by GDA include restoration of the third-floor porch above the porte-cochere, south porch repairs and more painting, all of which will help ensure the Mansion’s structural integrity as it approaches the two-century mark.
The GDA will be holding their first major fundraiser for this year on June 8 from 4-8 p.m. at Twisted Tree Music Hall on East Morton Avenue. The now annual Gov. Duncan Barbecue will have a theme of “Rock the Mansion” this year.
Music will be provided by Trio DeGroove, featuring Jeff Newman and Robert Sampson. Nick Xamis and his sous chef, Jacksonville Mayor Andy Ezard, will have briskets, ribs and more on the smoker for everyone’s enjoyment. Tickets are $50. Reserve tickets by emailing governorduncanassociation@gmail.com.
Portions of the research in this article were provided by Gary Morris, Jeanie Xamis and Mary Fergurson of the Gov. Duncan Association.
