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Lamberson Guest House History

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 20:10:47 GMT

On a rise historically known as Quality Hill, at 113 S Prospect Street in Galena, Illinois, a mansion built in 1870 now operates as the Lamberson Guest House. The Italianate style home looks out over downtown Galena's Historic District, with a carved porch and leaded glass doors that reflect the wealth once concentrated along this stretch of the city. An Italianate-inspired porch and hand-carved leaded glass doors usher guests into this beautifully maintained piece of history.

David Harvey Lamberson's Early Life and Career

David Harvey Lamberson was born in Hampton, Illinois, in September 1840 and was educated in Keokuk, Iowa, where he started out clerking for a wholesale notion store before selling goods across southern Iowa.David Harvey Lamberson was born in Hampton, IL on September 24th, 1840. He received his education in the schools of Keokuk, Iowa, where he also began business as a clerk in a wholesale notion store. After his family relocated to Galena, he entered the sewing machine trade before shifting into photography, opening a gallery on Main Street and advertising his work in the Daily Advertiser by 1860.During the late 1850s he was employed in the sewing machine business in Galena, next door to the photograph gallery of George Johnson. Mr. Lamberson saw the potential of the business and decided to learn the trade. By 1860, he was advertising "Photographs of the city of Galena" in the Daily Advertiser. He married Elizabeth James in December 1863, and the couple later partnered with her brother in an extensive photography business before Lamberson moved into insurance and then into a long career with the Remington Manufacturing Company, where he rose from regional agent to owner of its western territory.On December 10, 1863, he married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Rachel James, and a son, George, was born to them the following year.

Building the House on Quality Hill

Lamberson bought the land atop Quality Hill in April 1870 and built the home at age thirty for Elizabeth and their growing family.Mr. Lamberson purchased the land atop "Quality Hill" in April, 1870, and at the age of 30, proceeded to build this magnificent home for his wife, Elizabeth, and their children. A letter Lamberson wrote to his brother the following year, now archived at the Chicago History Museum, described the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire during a business trip to the city.In a letter archived in the Chicago History Museum dated October 11, 1871, Lamberson writes to his brother, Frank, after traveling to Chicago from Galena to deal with the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire.

Family Life and the Move to Chicago

The Lambersons raised their children in the Quality Hill home for a few years before relocating to Chicago in 1873, where their expanding business interests were centered. Two more daughters joined the family during this period, Mary in 1873 and Maud in 1875.The Lamberson family moved to Chicago in 1873 and another daughter, Mary, was born to them that same year. In 1875, they welcomed their 3rd daughter, Maud. That same year, the Lambersons sold the Galena property to Henry and Anna Wallace.David and Lizzie Lamberson sold their home to Henry and Anna Wallace in 1875.

From Private Residence to Bed and Breakfast

Henry Wallace ran a men's clothing store in Galena, and his family lived in the home for fifty years, raising four children and hosting wedding receptions in its formal dining room before selling in 1925.Henry Wallace owned a men's clothing store located at 100 N. Main (today's Kandy Kitchen is at this location). The Wallaces lived in this home for 50 years, raising 4 children, entertaining and hosting their daughters' grand wedding receptions in the formal dining room and library. Ownership changed several more times over the following decades before the property opened as a bed and breakfast.Over the last century, it changed hands several more times before becoming a bed-and-breakfast in the late 1990s. In July 2016, Brian and Michelle Heurung took over as the ninth owners and carried out a significant renovation, adding private bathrooms to each guest room.The Heurungs, who owned the Lamberson Guest House just before the Larsons, completed a significant renovation to the home, including adding bathrooms to each of the guest rooms and updating the décor to give the rooms a lighter, airier feel.

The Inn Today

The home now belongs to Bart and Val Gregersen, who took over as its eleventh owners after Val's career as a math teacher and Bart's work as a school counselor. Their history page notes the home has stood for 156 years and continues to draw people who value its story as much as its setting. Four guest rooms carry the names of women from the Lamberson family, including Elizabeth and Jessie, tying each space to the household that first lived there a century and a half ago. The inn sits within walking distance of downtown Galena's shops, restaurants, and historic sites, giving overnight travelers a quiet base with the town's main attractions close at hand.

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