{"nrhp_refnum":"80001425","name":"Spafford, Amos Catlin, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"501 N. Prospect St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Rockford","county":"Winnebago County","state":"IL","lat":42.27256045400006,"lon":-89.06631839997249,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-02-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Health/Medicine","Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A yellow brick house at 501 North Prospect Street in Rockford, Illinois, built in 1863 or 1864 and set within about twelve acres of ornamental grounds with a coach house and groundskeeper's cottage.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it one of Rockford's most striking and best preserved examples of picturesque American architecture, blending Italian Villa, Gothic Revival and Second Empire elements. It is primarily significant for its association with six generations of the Spafford family, prominent in Rockford's banking, civic and philanthropic life since 1839.","narrative":"Built in 1863 or 1864 in Rockford, Illinois, this yellow brick house combines several picturesque revival styles. A three-story tower and asymmetrical massing reflect the Italian Villa mode, while steep gable roofs, carved bargeboards and pinnacles recall the Gothic Revival. The tower's concave roof hints at the Second Empire. Inside, white marble fireplaces, the original staircase beneath an octagonal skylight and much original trim and furniture survive. About twelve acres of ornamental grounds, laid out in a style resembling designs popularized by Andrew Jackson Downing, include a coach house and groundskeeper's cottage from the 1860s. The property is chiefly valued for its link to the Spafford family. Amos Catlin Spafford arrived in Rockford in 1839, founded a private bank in 1854 and became first president of the Third National Bank in 1864, serving until 1897. His son George led the bank, and his daughter Jessie was an educator and civic leader.","period_of_significance":"1863-1897","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Italian Villa with Gothic Revival and Second Empire elements (picturesque revival)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied as a private residence; the interior woodwork, plaster trim and many furnishings are described as original and in excellent condition.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.540309-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/93/8943/28894393/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/80001425.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80001425/406a8268d8-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80001425/406a8268d8-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 2.5","author":"IvoShandor","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rockford_Il_Amos_Spafford_House1.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">IvoShandor</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 2.5</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rockford_Il_Amos_Spafford_House1.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28894393","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos_Catlin_Spafford_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16932418"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/winnebago-county/spafford-amos-catlin-house-80001425/"}