Built sometime between 1820-1837, the Lyman Trumbull House on 1105 Henry Street in Alton was home to the influential man of the same name. Lyman Trumbull heavily influenced American politics during his life, co-authoring and spearheading the 13th Amendment as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Civil Rights Act, and the Freedman's Bureau Act. Trumbull served as Secretary of the State of Illinois from 1841-1843, a judge on the Illinois Supreme Court from 1848-1853 and was a senator representing Illinois from 1855-1873. Trumbull, a staunch supporter of labor rights and civil rights, switched parties five times in his career and helped form the original Republican party. He was an ally of Abraham Lincoln and was assisted in winning his 1835 senatorial race by Lincoln against Stephen A. Douglas. Trumbull was also a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment, although he showed very little interest in firearms in his personal life, stating that his lifelong cause was for "the poor who toil for a living in this world" and that no working man could protect his interests without the right to bear arms.

Trumbull began his career in the Age of Jackson and ended it with his protégé, William Jennings Bryan, winning the Democratic presidential nomination in 1896. The work in which Trumbull was involved over the course of his life impacted both the American political climate and social structure of the U.S. for all time. The 1 1/2- story brick building in Alton served as Trumbull's home from 1849-1863. The gable-roofed residence is built with a native limestone foundation and was originally rectangular in shape before receiving an addition in the 19th century which left it in an 'L' shape. The house has 3 gabled dormers on the front, one on the back, and one on the addition. The home is on the National Registry of Historic Places and is a stop on the Lincoln Legacy Trail.