{"nrhp_refnum":"82002525","name":"Young, Joshua P., House","other_names":["McGee House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2445 High St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Blue Island","county":"Cook County","state":"IL","lat":41.65251723500006,"lon":-87.67496773799996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-08-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 1½-story balloon-frame Chicago cottage at 2445 High Street in Blue Island, Cook County, Illinois, standing by 1852 on a tall limestone base with an English basement. The builder is unknown.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is architecturally significant as one of the oldest surviving examples of the Chicago cottage, and a prototype of the type. It is also historically significant for its builder Joshua P. Young, a major real estate developer of Chicago's south side and the Blue Island area, who helped develop communities along the Blue Island-Beverly Ridge and promoted suburban railroad service.","narrative":"This 1½-story balloon-frame house at 2445 High Street in Blue Island was standing by 1852 and is recognized as one of the oldest surviving Chicago cottages. It sits on a tall limestone base with an English basement, and has a gable roof, white clapboard siding, carved cornice brackets, curved window pediments and an Italianate bay window. Inside, original plaster ornament, sliding wood doors and a servants' staircase survive. Its first owner, Joshua Palmer Young, moved from New York to Chicago in 1848 and became a leading real estate developer in the south part of the region. As president of the Blue Island Land Company he helped develop Englewood, Morgan Park, Beverly, Harvey and other communities, and promoted suburban rail service. He also served as village board president and helped organize the Congregational Society. Later owners included Michael Arnold, who bought the house in 1866. After wood cottages were lost in Chicago's fires of the 1870s, this house remained as a prototype of the type.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899 (specific date 1852)","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Chicago cottage, with Greek Revival, Italianate, Renaissance-inspired and American Gothic details","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied private residence in fair condition, largely unaltered; the west porch and stairs were torn down due to deterioration, with restoration planned.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.502898-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/70/8924/28892470/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/82002525.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82002525/0f89ffc1cd-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82002525/0f89ffc1cd-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Burnhamandroot","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joshua_P_Young_House.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Burnhamandroot</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joshua_P_Young_House.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28892470","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_P._Young_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q97304405"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/cook-county/young-joshua-p-house-82002525/"}