TOWANDA - One of the more widely held misconceptions relating to McLean County history is that Towanda Meadows, the stately three-story farmhouse south of Towanda, was a stop on the underground railroad, and thus helped funnel escaped slaves to freedom.

Alas, the house dates to 1874-1875, nearly a decade after the end of the Civil War, making any talk of the Underground Railroad so much hooey.

In all likelihood, this enduring urban legend owes its existence to the fact that Towanda Meadows was built just east of the Chicago & Alton Railroad line. Situated on a low hill, the house served as a tangible symbol of William R. Duncan's success in the livestock business. Duncan wanted his home to draw admiring looks from C&A passengers, and it was only matter of time before stories began circulating among travelers and local residents alike.

Eventually, Route 66 and later Interstate 55 took their place alongside the railroad (now used by Amtrak), meaning even today the curious landmark probably draws more idle speculation than any old building in and around the Twin Cities.

There are other invented stories concerning Towanda Meadows, such as the one about the tunnel from the house to a barn, or the one about a treasure room below a second-floor bedroom. One absurd rumor held that this space doubled as a hiding place for escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad. In fact, this secret "room" was no more than a cistern for a first floor bathtub.

Regardless of its real or imagined past, Towanda Meadows is recognized as one of the finest farmhouses ever built in Illinois. The architectural style is Italianate, evident in the high and narrow windows, flat roof, and the elaborate bracketing supporting the roof as it extends over the walls.

This was the largest such Italianate farmhouse in McLean County, but not the first. That distinction belonged to Home Park Place, built in 1869 by Nelson Jones, another Towanda Township stockman. The Jones house remains standing, as does another Italianate gem from this era, the 1873 Jacob J. Ham farmhouse south of Hudson.

Towanda Meadows boasted six fireplaces and a winding staircase with hand-carved walnut spindles. The ceilings on the first two floors were 11 feet high and the walls about a foot thick.

The permanence of Towanda Meadows is all the more striking when one considers that Duncan's time in McLean County spanned little more than a decade.

In October 1863, Duncan, who had been a lifelong resident of Kentucky, fled the politically divided and economically ravaged border state for the tranquility of Central Illinois. The Civil War had left Duncan in financial ruin, and since he was a Union man, he naturally looked northward to re-establish his livelihood as a livestock breeder and trader.

In the years after the war, Duncan quickly aligned himself with a group of forward-thinking farmers who advocated the improvement of crops and livestock through selective breeding and other "scientific" means.

In late September 1876, Duncan fell grievously ill at the Illinois State Fair, which was held that year in Ottawa. He headed home, but his strength gave out before he reached Towanda Meadows, and he died at the Normal residence of son-in-law Josiah Chorn.

Though Duncan spent less than a quarter of his life in McLean County, he experienced a lifetime's share of hardship. His economic fortunes waxed and waned, his second wife died at Towanda Meadows, and a son drowned nearby in an accident. At the boy's funeral, Duncan had his wife's grave opened for one final goodbye.

The family burial plot was on the farm, but Duncan's third wife, Sarah A. Bean, had the bodies removed and brought to Kentucky.

James H. Scott purchased the house from Duncan's heirs, and later owners included D.W. Kraft of Normal and then his daughter, Helen. For much of the 20th century, tenants occupied the grand old home, and the fireplaces were bricked up and the second and third stories shuttered.

Today, the future of Towanda Meadows is in the hands of both an absentee landlord and the unforgiving elements.