Stevens House
Also known as: Springer's Folly
Why it's listed
Built in 1842 for John Stevens, this brick house at the east end of Tiskilwa's business district began as a Greek Revival home and grew with the family's fortunes. Bricks came from the Stevens brick yard south of town. A west wing and second-floor additions in 1900 brought a hipped roof, a large front porch with classical columns, and a Classical Revival look, followed by a solarium in 1910. Today it holds about 18 rooms and 6,320 square feet, with a carriage house, a 1907 ice house, a fish pond and a hitching post. Inside, cherry and oak woodwork, leaded glass windows and a grand oak staircase survive, alongside simpler early Greek Revival trim in the older rooms. The Stevens family owned it from 1842 to 1967. It was listed as a fine local blend of two revival styles, with its interior and structure largely unchanged since the early twentieth century.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house meets Criterion C as a fine example of Classical Revival architecture that keeps earlier 1840s Greek Revival features. It is described as one of the best Tiskilwa-area examples of Greek Revival blended with a later Classical Revival overlay. It also reflects the changing ideas of successive generations of the Stevens family, who held it for 125 years.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 92001537, listed November 5, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 140 E. Main St., Tiskilwa |
|---|---|
| County | Bureau County |
| Listed | November 5, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001537 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1842-1910 |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival; Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Being restored toward its circa 1900 appearance in 1992; the form says the house was never divided into apartments or left vacant. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.29195, -89.50609 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 92001537.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q25209435
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.