George Harrison's 1963 Illinois Home Listed for $105,000

In Benton, Illinois, the modest bungalow where Beatles guitarist George Harrison stayed during an unassuming family visit in September 1963 has been listed for sale at $105,000, prompting concerns among fans about the preservation of a key piece of rock history.

The five-bedroom house at 113 McCann Street, built in 1935 with a brick facade and wide front porch, served as home to Harrison's sister, Louise Harrison Caldwell, and her family after her husband, a mining engineer, relocated there for work in the town's thriving coal industry. Benton, a community of about 6,700 residents located 100 miles southeast of St. Louis, was once known for its rich coal veins and even hosted Illinois' last public hanging in 1928. Harrison, then 20 and traveling with his brother Peter, spent his time camping in nearby Shawnee National Forest, jamming with local musicians at a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall, and enjoying simple pleasures like root beer served by roller-skating carhops at a drive-in restaurant.

The visit marked Harrison's last opportunity for anonymity before the Beatles' explosive rise to fame. Four months later, in February 1964, he and his bandmates captivated 73 million...