{"nrhp_refnum":"85002843","name":"Paine House","other_names":["Hosick,Mr. &amp","Mrs. J.I.,Residence"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Rt. 1, Box 19 A","address_restricted":false,"city":"Xenia","county":"Clay County","state":"IL","lat":38.638707915000055,"lon":-88.63479136899997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-11-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Literature"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick residence in Xenia, Clay County, Illinois, built by John McGiffen, who acquired the property in 1857; the form gives a specific date of 1858.","why_significant":"The house was the home of author Albert Bigelow Paine from 1873 to 1888, and it is where he began writing poems and short stories. Paine later became known as the biographer and literary executor of Mark Twain and as an editor and children's author. The form also notes the house has changed very little since it was built.","narrative":"This two-story brick house in Xenia, Illinois, was built by John McGiffen, who acquired the property in 1857, and carries a specific date of 1858. It combines Greek Revival interior detailing with Gothic Revival touches, such as the large boards along the eaves. It has eight rooms, five identical fireplaces, a walnut stair bannister, original woodwork and mostly original flooring. Few changes have been made over its long life. Additions include wiring, a gas furnace, water and sewer lines, a concrete front porch and a bathroom enclosed from the back porch. The house is significant for its link to author Albert Bigelow Paine, who lived here from 1873 to 1888 and began writing poems and short stories in it. Paine went on to edit St. Nicholas Magazine's league department and wrote a three-volume biography of Mark Twain, published in 1912. The property has always been a private residence and has stayed in the Paine family and its descendants since 1873.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899 (specific date 1858)","architect_builder":"John McGiffen","architectural_style":"Greek Revival and Gothic Revival details","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied as a private residence, in good condition, 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 02:55:35.105673-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/78/8918/28891878/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/85002843.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002843/afeaabba66-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002843/afeaabba66-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paine_House_in_Xenia.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paine_House_in_Xenia.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891878","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paine_House_(Xenia,_Illinois)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16896345"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/clay-county/paine-house-85002843/"}