Barrington Historic District
Also known as: See Also:Octagon House
Why it's listed
South of Barrington's commercial center lies a 92-acre neighborhood of mostly wood-frame single-family houses, laid out on a grid with narrow streets crossing gently rolling ground. Lots are large, setbacks are uniform, and mature trees line the streets. Most houses are one to two stories with gabled or hipped roofs and open porches. Built between about 1860 and 1930, they show a range of styles: more than one hundred Vernacular examples, over a dozen Italianate houses, and several Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Octagon, Queen Anne, Neo-Classical and Craftsman buildings. The growth of the village was encouraged by the railroad, which brought building materials and made balloon framing practical. The district was listed for its association with the development of a rural Midwestern town and for its architecture. Roughly eighty percent of its buildings contribute to its character, and the few that do not are not intrusive. A few churches and small multi-family buildings are also included.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to hold examples of all major American architectural styles from the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth century, showing how the residential area of a rural Midwestern town developed. Houses are linked by materials, scale and character, and streetscapes have consistent setbacks and mature plantings. About eighty percent of structures contribute, and none of the non-contributing ones are intrusive.
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 86001047, listed May 16, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Chicago & Northwestern RR, S. Spring and Grove Sts., E. Hillside and W. Coolidge, and Dundee Aves., Barrington |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | May 16, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001047 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1860-1930 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Octagon, Queen Anne, Folk Victorian, Neo-Classical, and Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as occupied and in excellent to good condition, with a high degree of integrity; a few residences have been converted to boutiques or professional offices. |
| Acreage | 92 |
| Coordinates | 42.15057, -88.13776 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 86001047.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4863674
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.