Children play and explore the Little House during the Ellwood House Museum’s “Lunch at the Little House” event July 9. Participants could picnic in the shade, play in the Little House, and play a variety of games more than 100 years old. The event was held to celebrate the Little House’s 125th birthday.

Siblings Christopher and Addison Andrus are convinced that fairies live in the Little House on the Ellwood House Museum grounds in DeKalb.

When the Andrus family, of DeKalb, took family photos on the Ellwood House grounds last fall, Christopher, 7, and Addison, 4, started to talk about the possibility of the mythical creatures living in the tiny house – a playhouse-sized structure outfitted with a tiny table, sofa, tea cups and more.

They wanted to go inside and look, but the house wasn’t open.

So when the Little House was open to the public July 9 for the Lunch at the Little House event, the Andrus family was the first to arrive. No fairies were spotted, though. Maybe they were out for the day.

“Ever since they first saw the house, they’ve wanted to go in so badly,” said Ellen Andrus, of DeKalb. “They just love that little house.”

Lunch at the Little House celebrated the 125^th birthday of the little house, which was originally a contractor’s model and parade float for Patten Mfg. Company.

William Ellwood, son of barbed wire baron Isaac Ellwood, acquired the house for his daughters to play in, said Tricia Runzel, museum curator of education and interpretation.

The house features a porch, a short door that requires people to duck to enter, and Queen Anne style siding and trim, which is sometimes known as “gingerbread trim.” The house has been featured on many properties throughout DeKalb since 1891, but made its way back to the museum grounds in 1973.

Runzel said the Little House is a favorite to many in the community, even the employees and the volunteers of the Ellwood House Museum.

“Everyone loves the Little House,” Runzel said. “Whenever we can get in there, we do. It makes everyone turn into a kid again. I love when seniors visit and say ‘I wish I had that when I was growing up.’”

Visitors were encouraged to bring lunch and picnic on the grounds, and when children weren’t exploring the house, games from the 1800s were available to learn. Carly Kammes, 9, of DeKalb, and Emelia Magill, 9, of DeKalb, tried their hand at dominoes, yo-yos, jacks and hopscotch, but the house was ultimately their favorite part of the day.

“It’s so nice and tiny,” Magill said. “Everything looks so nice and real.”

Museum intern Rae Slowik is a fan of the Little House, too.

“It’s 125 years old, but it’s in good condition, it’s really been taken care of,” Slowik said. “It’s special. This definitely isn’t a playhouse you could just buy today at Walmart.”