Steffens, Joseph, House
Also known as: Rammed Earth House
Why it's listed
Built in 1843 near Milledgeville, Illinois, this one-and-one-half story cottage has thick walls of rammed earth, a technique in which soil is pounded into moulds on a foundation. It is the only house known to be built this way in the state. Joseph Steffens, a wealthy Methodist minister born in Upper Canada, settled on a 200-acre farm in Carroll County in 1840. Family tradition says he used rammed earth because his Canadian house was built of it, and timber was also temporarily scarce near Elkhorn Grove. The walls rest on a limestone foundation and are covered with whitewashed rough cast mortar over a short masonry sheath. Two rooms were added at the back in the 1890s, making a T-shaped plan, and an enclosed porch was added in the 1960s. Original features include two fireplaces, built-in cabinets, false-grained doors and pit-sawed joists. The house is structurally sound, though the front porch has collapsed and some wall plaster needs repair. It is listed for its rare construction method.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is the only one known to be built of rammed earth in Illinois, so it is significant under Criterion C for its method of construction. Steffens probably chose the material because timber was temporarily scarce locally, and perhaps because he knew it from his Canadian home. The rarity of the technique makes its construction details noteworthy.
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 85000771, listed April 10, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Off of Elkhorn Rd., Milledgeville |
|---|---|
| County | Carroll County |
| Listed | April 10, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000771 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Joseph Steffens (builder) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and in good condition. The house is structurally sound, but the front porch has caved in and parts of the rammed earth wall need replastering. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.96639, -89.71749 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 85000771.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20709987
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.