McFarland House
Also known as: Dudley House
Why it's listed
Built between 1890 and 1892 at 895 Seventh Street in Charleston, Illinois, this two-story frame house is a local example of Queen Anne architecture. Charles D. Mitchell, a Charleston-born architect, contractor and builder, designed and built it. The cross-gabled house is clad in white clapboard over a painted red brick foundation. Its most distinctive feature is a quarter-circular wraparound porch with turned posts, oval-shaped brackets, pendants and a sunburst pediment, repeated in the west attic gable along with decorative false timbering. Elaborate wooden window surrounds and modillion lintels add to the detailing. Inside, the house keeps its parlors with pocket doors, a tiled fireplace, a spindlework staircase and a stained glass transom. Only one major alteration is known, a bedroom and bathroom added over the kitchen before 1920. The house was listed for its architecture, its high level of preserved original material, and its status as the most intact residential work of Mitchell, who built many of the city's homes and public buildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well-preserved local example of Queen Anne residences built in Charleston in the late 19th century. It combines a cross-gabled form, a wraparound porch, and decorative gable and porch ornamentation, and keeps a high degree of original exterior and interior integrity. It is also described as the most intact residential example of work by Charles D. Mitchell, a prominent local architect-builder.
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 91001690, listed November 14, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 895 Seventh St., Charleston |
|---|---|
| County | Coles County |
| Listed | November 14, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001690 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1890-1892 |
| Architect / builder | Mitchell, Charles D. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian - Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, with a high percentage of original exterior and interior materials retained. Current functions listed are private residence and museum artifact storage. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.48938, -88.17371 (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 91001690.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16894964
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.