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We have decided to sell our lovely studio/residence home. I and my wife,
Leone Castell Anderson, children’s book author who has had her writing
office in the lower level, will be moving to an apartment in Stockton. My
watercolor painting studio will be relocated to a separate unit on the north
(light) end of the same apartment building.

We will miss this great place that we have loved since we purchased the
1878 Chelsea one-room schoolhouse back in February of 1970. This part of
our house, with its many tall windows, oak flooring and tall ceiling, 1078
square feet in size, has been restored, and includes a free-standing
fireplace. In 1974 we built an addition of 912 square feet which includes
the kitchen, laundry, bath, bedroom, walk-in closet, breakfast room space as
part of the kitchen, other closets, and the stair to the lower 800 square
feet level.

In 1976 we added a stair and a balcony to the north end of the main
schoolhouse, which serves as a bedroom and library, with a walk-in
closet/dressing room, adding 384 square feet to the building.

In 1990 we again added to the west, a two-car garage, 20’ x 24’, with a
work room, 8’ x 13’, with a woodburnng stove at the west end of the garage.

The connection to the main room is a mud room, 90 square feet, with a stair
to accommodate the change in floor level. This mud room has a coat closet
at the top landing and a closet with shelving at the lower level which has
been used for paints and other necessary maintenance supplies. There is an
exit door to the yard on the south side of the mud room.

To summarize the size of the studio/home, the living spaces are:

  • 1878 school house 1,078 sq. ft.
  • 1974 addition, main floor 912 sq. ft. - addition, lower level 800 sq. ft.
  • 1976 balcony 384 sq. ft.
  • 1990 mud room __90 sq ft. - Living - sub total 3,264 sq. ft.
  • 1990 garage/work space _ 587 sq. ft.

    • Grand total 3,851 sq. ft.

    The property size is .89 acre and has 16 Norway spruce trees which were
    all planted between 1878 and 1911; a huge maple planted in 1911, the year
    the well was drilled; several other maples, a green ash, one Colorado
    spruce, and one Colorado blue spruce. Three apple trees and two pear trees
    have provided us with good fruit to date.

    The old school house is a wonderful space. It has my studio area to the
    north and is separated from the main living/dining room area with a low
    display panel type divider. The painting area is between the entrance
    hall/vestibule, 8’ x 6’, and a small room, 8-1/2’ x 6’, which has
    bookshelves, and has been used as a sleeping space with daybed, dresser and
    chair.

    The heating system is a hot water boiler, serving convectors in all
    spaces. The domestic water heater is gas-fired. The gas supply is propane.
    The drinking water from our well is really good.

    I will continue having my two shows each year. Only the venue will
    change. We will look forward to your continued interest in my watercolors
    and in Lee’s writings...and yes, we look forward to not having to do
    building maintenance, snow shoveling, yardwork, etc.

    So if you have a dream of moving to this most beautiful part of
    Illinois, or enjoying an ideal second home here in Jo Daviess County, our
    area is considered the gateway to the attractions to the west of us...such
    as Apple Canyon State Park, Galena Territory, Eagle Ridge Inn, fine golf
    courses, the historic city of Galena, the Mississippi River, and skiing at
    Chestnut Mountain.

    The Chelsea Studio is located 4 miles north of Route 20
    and 1 mile east of Illinois Route 78. (See the map for location that is
    included in this web site.) For more information call
    Eric Anderson@ 815-947-2780.