Ruben M. Benjamin House
Encyclopedia
The Ruben M. Benjamin House is a house located in the United States city of Bloomington, Illinois. It is a two-story, rectangular building, styled in the Classical Revival
architectural motif. It was built in 1856 by the man who would become the first governor of the state of Colorado, John L. Routt. Ruben M. Benjamin, a prominent attorney, lived in the home for more than 60 years. He is best remembered for litigation relating to the railroads and their regulation by state government. The United States National Register of Historic Places
added the Ruben M. Benjamin House in August 1978.
. The railroad case was widely considered a benchmark ruling which allowed the government to regulate private enterprises.
. Simple in its design, the exterior of the house has remained almost unchanged since the late 19th century, possibly before that. The front of the house and the end of its gable
d roof face East Grove Street, to the south. The second story features three rectangular windows with a circular window gracing the gable end at the third floor attic
. At its front and back ends, the roof is supported by shallow wooden bracket
s. The double front door has a small, flat roof overhanging it and west side of the house features a bay window
.
on August 20, 1982. Though the structure is listed on the National Register independently it is included within the boundaries of the East Grove Street Historic District. The house is considered a contributing property
to the historic district
which was added to the National Register in 1987.
The historic significance of the home is in its association with Ruben M. Benjamin, who lived in it for more than 60 years, until he died in 1917. Benjamin was raised in Chatham Center, Columbia County, New York
. He first graduated from Kinderhook Academy and then Amherst College
and eventually attended Harvard
law school for a year. He ended up in Bloomington in 1856. When Benjamin passed the bar exam in 1856, Abraham Lincoln
served as his examiner. After passing the bar, Benjamin married and practiced law with various Bloomington lawyers, such as Asahel Gridley and Thomas F. Tipton
. In 1869, Benjamin was elected to the Illinois state constitutional convention
, where he distinguished himself as a leader. During the convention Benjamin strongly advocated language allowing the regulation of the freight industry. The clauses he supported were included in Article XI of the Illinois Constitution
.
Benjamin soon put the new constitution to the test when he undertook, perhaps, his biggest claim to fame. In 1872, he filed quo warranto
proceedings against the Chicago and Alton Railroad, demanding their charter be revoked because they were charging rates which seemed unfair. The Chicago and Alton Railroad's rate structure charged US$
5.65 to haul 1000 ft
(304.8 m) of lumber from Chicago
to Lexington
but charged 65 cent
s less for a longer trip from Chicago to Bloomington
. As a result, lower courts ruled that the state could regulate the rate structures of railroads, later the Supreme Court of the United States
overturned the ruling on the grounds that some rate discrimination may prove justifiable. During the process of their decision, the Supreme Court made it clear that states did indeed have the right to regulate the rates of railroads and, by implication, the right to regulate other companies.
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
architectural motif. It was built in 1856 by the man who would become the first governor of the state of Colorado, John L. Routt. Ruben M. Benjamin, a prominent attorney, lived in the home for more than 60 years. He is best remembered for litigation relating to the railroads and their regulation by state government. The United States National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
added the Ruben M. Benjamin House in August 1978.
History
The home was constructed in 1856 by then-carpenter John L. Routt. It is the only home in Bloomington that can definitively be attributed to Routt. The rectangular, two-story house was built for lawyer and Bloomington resident Ruben M. Benjamin. Benjamin was a prominent attorney who represented the people in The People vs. Chicago and Alton Railroad as well as helped to develop the famed Granger casesGrange movement
The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, also simply styled the Grange, is a fraternal organization for American farmers that encourages farm families to band together for their common economic and political well-being...
. The railroad case was widely considered a benchmark ruling which allowed the government to regulate private enterprises.
Architecture
The home is cast in the Classical Revival architectural style. The house was built by carpenter Routt, who later became the first governor of the state of ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. Simple in its design, the exterior of the house has remained almost unchanged since the late 19th century, possibly before that. The front of the house and the end of its gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof face East Grove Street, to the south. The second story features three rectangular windows with a circular window gracing the gable end at the third floor attic
Attic
An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it...
. At its front and back ends, the roof is supported by shallow wooden bracket
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
s. The double front door has a small, flat roof overhanging it and west side of the house features a bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
.
Significance
The house was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on August 20, 1982. Though the structure is listed on the National Register independently it is included within the boundaries of the East Grove Street Historic District. The house is considered a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
which was added to the National Register in 1987.
The historic significance of the home is in its association with Ruben M. Benjamin, who lived in it for more than 60 years, until he died in 1917. Benjamin was raised in Chatham Center, Columbia County, New York
Columbia County, New York
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,096. The county seat is Hudson. The name comes from the Latin feminine form of the name of Christopher Columbus, which was at the time of the formation of the county a popular proposal...
. He first graduated from Kinderhook Academy and then Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
and eventually attended Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
law school for a year. He ended up in Bloomington in 1856. When Benjamin passed the bar exam in 1856, Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
served as his examiner. After passing the bar, Benjamin married and practiced law with various Bloomington lawyers, such as Asahel Gridley and Thomas F. Tipton
Thomas F. Tipton
Thomas Foster Tipton was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.Born near Harrisburg, Ohio, Tipton attended the public schools.He moved with his parents to McLean County, Illinois, in 1843.He studied law....
. In 1869, Benjamin was elected to the Illinois state constitutional convention
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
, where he distinguished himself as a leader. During the convention Benjamin strongly advocated language allowing the regulation of the freight industry. The clauses he supported were included in Article XI of the Illinois Constitution
Illinois Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Illinois is the governing document of the state of Illinois. There have been four Illinois Constitutions; the fourth and current version was adopted in 1970.-History:...
.
Benjamin soon put the new constitution to the test when he undertook, perhaps, his biggest claim to fame. In 1872, he filed quo warranto
Quo warranto
Quo warranto is a prerogative writ requiring the person to whom it is directed to show what authority they have for exercising some right or power they claim to hold.-History:...
proceedings against the Chicago and Alton Railroad, demanding their charter be revoked because they were charging rates which seemed unfair. The Chicago and Alton Railroad's rate structure charged US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
5.65 to haul 1000 ft
Ft
Ft or ft. may mean:* Foot , a unit of distance or length* Hungarian forint, the currency of Hungary* Fair Trade, the principle to give a fair price when trading* Fort, a fortified place, especially in place names...
(304.8 m) of lumber from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to Lexington
Lexington, Illinois
Lexington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,060 at the 2010 census. There are two theories of its name. One says it was named for the Battle of Lexington, where General Gridley's father fought...
but charged 65 cent
Cent (currency)
In many national currencies, the cent is a monetary unit that equals 1⁄100 of the basic monetary unit. Etymologically, the word cent derives from the Latin word "centum" meaning hundred. Cent also refers to a coin which is worth one cent....
s less for a longer trip from Chicago to Bloomington
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
. As a result, lower courts ruled that the state could regulate the rate structures of railroads, later the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
overturned the ruling on the grounds that some rate discrimination may prove justifiable. During the process of their decision, the Supreme Court made it clear that states did indeed have the right to regulate the rates of railroads and, by implication, the right to regulate other companies.
See also
- East Grove Street Historic DistrictEast Grove Street District (Bloomington, Illinois)The East Grove Street District in Bloomington, Illinois is a historic district that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district, added to the register in 1987, includes the four to seven hundred blocks of East Grove Street....
- George H. Cox HouseGeorge H. Cox HouseThe George H. Cox House, in the McLean County, Illinois seat of Bloomington, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since November 1985. It is part of the nearby East Grove Street District, as well as being individually listed on the National Register....
- Munn v. IllinoisMunn v. IllinoisMunn v. Illinois, 94 U.S. 113 , was a United States Supreme Court case dealing with corporate rates and agriculture. The Munn case allowed states to regulate certain businesses within their borders, including railroads, and is commonly regarded as a milestone in the growth of federal government...