{"nrhp_refnum":"78001172","name":"Curtis, Elijah P., House","other_names":["Massac County Historical Museum"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"405 Market St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Metropolis","county":"Massac County","state":"IL","lat":37.15134788900008,"lon":-88.73407082499995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-06-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick Classic Revival house with a one-story rear wing at 405 Market Street, Metropolis, Massac County, Illinois, built in 1870 for Major Elijah P. Curtis by Joseph Alexander Fardell. It now serves as the Massac County Historical Museum.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it a fine Classic Revival house, built by a local craftsman noted for perfection in his work. It is one of only a few brick homes of its period remaining in Massac County. It is secondarily significant for local history because of Major Curtis, a Civil War officer and lawyer closely identified with the county's early history.","narrative":"Built in 1870 at 405 Market Street in Metropolis, Illinois, this two-story brick house with a one-story rear wing is a Classic Revival residence now used as the Massac County Historical Museum. Its symmetrical east front centers on a two-tier portico with octagonal columns and a balustered railing, framing matching doorways with scalloped transoms and sidelights. Inside, a central hall holds an open walnut stair, and the first floor has two coal-burning fireplaces. Joseph Alexander Fardell, a local craftsman noted for perfection in his work, built it for Major Elijah Curtis. Curtis, a lawyer, helped recruit the first Massac County company of the 29th Illinois Volunteers and rose to major in the Civil War. The house is one of only a few brick homes of its period left in the county. It was listed mainly for its architecture and secondarily for its link to local history. Alterations have been limited, though the rear porch was enclosed and the return eaves removed.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Joseph Alexander Fardell","architectural_style":"Classic Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and used as the Massac County Historical Museum, owned by the Massac County Historical Society; limited alterations noted.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.261654-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/8/8936/28893608/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/78001172.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78001172/1981009085-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78001172/1981009085-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elijah_P._Curtis_House,_blue_sky.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elijah_P._Curtis_House,_blue_sky.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28893608","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_P._Curtis_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16890982"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/massac-county/curtis-elijah-p-house-78001172/"}