The Morgan-Wells House, also known as the Norwood-Morgan-Wells House, was added to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 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...

 on November 16, 1977. The house is located in the Adams County

Adams County, Illinois

Adams County is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 67,103, which is a decrease of 1.7% from 68,277 in 2000...

 city of Quincy, Illinois

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...

. This Italianate structure was built in 1860 onto another structure by Edward Wells. The original building, which is now the rear of the house, was constructed in 1853 by J.E. Norwood, a pork packer

Meat packing industry

The meat packing industry handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock...

. Quincy banker Lorenzo Bull, who owned the home by 1901, gave it to the Cheerful Home Association and it became the first licensed children's home in the state of Illinois in 1901. In 1933 the YWCA

YWCA

The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...

purchased the home for $10.