{"nrhp_refnum":"83003586","name":"Thomas, Lewis H., House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"N. Virden Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Virden","county":"Montgomery County","state":"IL","lat":39.508590139000034,"lon":-89.64366441599998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-12-07","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Agriculture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story brick farmhouse with a fourth-floor observatory tower, built in the 1860s on the Union Grove Stock Farm near Virden in Montgomery County, Illinois. It was designed by architect Elijah E. Myers for Lewis H. Thomas and rebuilt after an 1888 fire.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is a well-preserved example of a known Victorian architect's design, modified by the 1888 fire into a towered Italianate form that reflects changing tastes. It is also significant for agriculture, because Thomas pioneered Osage Orange hedge fencing and won state agricultural awards. The form suggests the farm may be the most intact large-scale farm of its era in the county.","narrative":"Near Virden, Illinois, a large brick farmhouse rises 80 feet to its observatory tower beside Interstate 55. Lewis H. Thomas built it as the center of his Union Grove Stock Farm, using bricks made on the farm and a design credited to architect Elijah E. Myers. A fire in 1888 burned off the roof, and the rebuilding changed the roof line and removed Victorian exterior details, leaving a towered Italianate house. It has 15 rooms, seven fireplaces, original hardware and an attic apiary that Thomas arranged so bees could pass through the walls. A smokehouse and barn of the same period remain nearby. The property is also tied to agriculture. Thomas entered 970 acres of prairie in 1851, planted extensive Osage Orange hedges, and won state agricultural society medals in 1856 and 1858 for hedges and cultivated timber. The farm raised purebred sheep, cattle and hogs and was a showplace for visitors.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Elijah E. Myers","architectural_style":"Towered Italianate (originally Victorian)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Marked unoccupied on the form; renovation was in progress, with a new roof, repaired windows and rebuilt porches. The house is described as in good condition on its original site.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:34.5065-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/51/8937/28893751/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/83003586.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28893751","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_H._Thomas_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17300096"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/montgomery-county/thomas-lewis-h-house-83003586/"}