Deere-Wiman House in the late 1800s was originally Victorian (above) in architecture. After a fire in 1899 caused extensive damage to the home, its exterior was redone in stucco, as it appears today (right). In 1872, John Deere's son, Charles, built the Deere-Wiman House for his wife, Mary Little Dickinson Deere, and their daughters, Anna and Katherine, born in 1864 and 1866, respectively.

They named their Swiss Villa style residence "Overlook" because of its desirable hilltop location above the growing city of Moline, Illinois, and the family business, the John Deere Plow Works. Overlook served as home to four generations of Deere descendants.

After the death of Mrs. Pattie Southall Wiman in 1976, it was donated for public use. Today, tours of Deere-Wiman House offer visitors an authentic glimpse into Victorian family life and architectural innovations of the past century. Points of interest include a nearly complete set of Audubon chromolithographs, from an 1860 edition, a working Kimball pipe organ (c. 1910 - 1920) in the library, and a multi-nozzled spa shower reminiscent of the healing hot spring resort waters popular during the Victorian era.

The home's seven acres of meticulously-groomed formal gardens and walkways, as well as a child-size playhouse and three-story carriage house, beckon guests to leisurely explore the same lovely setting enjoyed by residents of a bygone era.

In 1892, Charles Deere built Butterworth Center a block from his beloved Overlook (Deere-Wiman House) as a wedding gift for his youngest daughter, Katherine, and her husband William Butterworth.