Meyer, Pearl and Bess, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1912 at 233 East 2nd Street in Flora, Illinois, this 1 1/2 story Queen Anne cottage was constructed by Frank S. Nichols, a former mayor of Flora, for Pearl and Bess Meyer. Pearl Meyer was a prominent local businessman who ran a dry goods store in town. The house has a high, steeply pitched roof, cross gables with half-timbered detail, cedar clapboard siding and a wraparound porch with classical wooden columns. Inside, the front parlor has oak pocket doors and a corner fireplace with green majolica tile, and much original oak and pine woodwork survives. Aluminum siding and porch enclosures added in later decades were removed during restoration, revealing well-preserved original cedar siding and trim. The house was listed as a locally significant example of a Queen Anne cottage built late in the style's period of popularity, notable for its half-timbered gables, which are less often found on such houses. It remains a single-family home.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C as a locally significant Queen Anne cottage built near the end of that style's popularity. It has the typical steep roof with lower cross gables and the less common half-timbered gable detailing. It also retains most of its original features after a restoration that removed later aluminum siding.
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 01000084, listed February 9, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 233 E. 2nd St., Flora |
|---|---|
| County | Clay County |
| Listed | February 9, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000084 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1912 |
| Architect / builder | Nichols, Frank S., Builder |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as well maintained and in excellent condition, in use as a single dwelling; kitchen restoration was near completion. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.67055, -88.48402 (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 01000084.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16895095
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.