For 110 years, the red sandstone and brick house on the corner of First Street and Lincoln Highway has been a part of DeKalb history.

Much of the history behind the original Mayo home at 105 N. First St. has been passed on among residents of DeKalb. Historical records including specifics on the Mayos and their home are hard to come by, as most of the lore behind the house is through word of mouth.

“So much of what is known is based on what people remember,” said Stephen Bigolin, local historian and co-creator of the DeKalb Landmark Commission.

The home was built in 1897 for Dr. Edward L. Mayo, a prominent doctor at the time, and Harriet Ellwood Mayo, daughter of Isaac Ellwood, the patriarch of the Ellwood family and business partner of Joseph Glidden.

Before the Mayo home was built, a log cabin owned by Russell Huntley occupied the corner of First Street and Lincoln Highway, or Main Street, as it was known at the time. Huntley is generally believed to be the founding settler of DeKalb, Bigolin said. Huntley lived in the cabin from 1837 to 1871, whereupon he moved to California.

Edward Mayo had previously lived in a smaller-frame house near the same corner. After Huntley left, Mayo purchased the land and built on the property.

Still married to his second wife, Edward Mayo was the topic of scandal as he announced his intentions to marry Harriet Ellwood, scandalous in her own right, being almost 20 years younger than Edward.

Construction for the house began shortly after the doctor and his new bride were married in the spring of 1897.

Though the designer of the house is up for debate, Bigolin believes William J. McAlpine, one of the contractors for Altgeld Hall, designed the Mayo home.

Edward Mayo died in March of 1905, and after his death, Harriet made many changes to the home, including the addition of the chimney on the south side of the house. Harriet continued to live in the home until 1922, when she moved to Pasadena, Calif.

“Mrs. Mayo sold the home to the Elks Club [for $75,000] before she moved to California, and then tried to buy it back when she returned to DeKalb,” said Gerald Brauer, executive director of the Ellwood House Museum. “They wouldn’t sell it to her, so she bought the land next door.”

Harriet may have sold her home to the Elks Club upon leaving for California because her brother, Perry Ellwood, was involved with the club. The Elks declined to sell it back simply because they were happy with it, Bigolin said.

Unable to buy back her old home, Harriet paid $75,000 to build at 115 N. First St., where she lived until her death in 1934.