The Gale House

The Gale House was home to the Galesburg and Knox College founder Reverend George Washington Gale and his family from 1841 to 1870. At that time, the property was known as Gales Grove and ran north to present day Grove Street.

During its 178-year history, the house has undergone a number of changes. George Adams Tryon and his wife, Julia Whiting Tryon, bought the home in 1870 from the George Washington Gale estate. George Adams Tryon expanded the home to accommodate his wife, Julia Whiting Tryon and four children.

In the late 1920's the Victorian porches across the front were converted to the smaller Greek Revival style porches. The east side of the home was converted to two apartments in the early 1940's and then back to a single family home in 1995. Through all these changes, the original Gale House remained intact and distinctly recognizable. In 1990, the house was designated as a Galesburg historic landmark.

It remained in the Tryon family until 2006, when it was purchased by Knox College through a gift from Bill and Beth Charlet Suitts of Boulder, Colorado.

Guest House Accommodations

The Gale House is currently available only to guests of the College. Contact Emma Thompson at eethompson@knox.edu or call 309-341-7121 for more information. Cost of accommodation is $65 per night, $500 per month (updated May 2023). Complete this form for reservations.

Accommodations in the historic Gale House include:

• Guest room
• Bath with hair dryer
• Guest access to the Knox Network wi-fi
• Coffee service
• Access to full kitchen
• Television and reading lounge
• Iron & ironing board
• Washing machine & dryer