Prairie Style House Gets Renamed

This past month North Central College alums celebrated their Homecoming in Naperville, held later in the fall than usual in order to coincide with the college’s 150th Anniversary commemoration. Naperville citizens were invited to join in the party by watching the Homecoming parade or attending musical and theater performances.

Also in honor of the anniversary, new signage was erected recently to identify campus buildings. The Office of International Programs and the Leadership, Ethics and Values Program, which is right across the street from Quigley’s on Jefferson Avenue, not only got a new sign, but also a new name. The college decided to rename the building in honor of NCC alumni and long-time Naperville residents William and Mary Abe.

Before North Central purchased the building, it served as the Law Offices of Knuckles & Jagel. Jeffry and Barbara Knuckles purchased the building in 1985 from Audrey Truitt McCabe whose father had the home built in 1916. McCabe’s father, Dr. Ruliff Lawrence Truitt, commissioned architect Harry Robinson to design the home in the Prairie School style which was popular in the early 1900’s.

Dr. Truitt originally moved to Naperville to assist his half-brother William in his medical practice and Robinson designed the home to include two rooms where the doctor would examine and treat his patients. Robinson was called back into service when the Truitt family needed to enlarge the house, but alterations were also made in later years. The house was granted Historic Landmark status in June of 1990.