Hatch, William H., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1882, just two years after River Forest was incorporated, this house on Keystone Avenue was constructed for the family of William Hatch, who worked in the grain commission business. It is a two-and-a-half story Queen Anne residence with a steeply pitched hipped roof and cross gables, rusticated limestone at the basement, wood clapboard siding, patterned shingles in the gables, spindlework porches and corbelled brick chimneys. Inside, a formal entrance hall leads to an oak staircase, and five stone fireplaces, pocket doors and stained glass add to the character. The nomination calls it one of the few high-style Queen Anne homes south of Lake Street in the village and a rare, possibly the oldest, example of the local spindlework subtype. Later owners rehabilitated the exterior in the 1980s, re-creating porches and chimneys from an 1890s photograph. The house remains a single-family dwelling and was found to retain excellent integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is locally significant under Criterion C as an excellent example of the Queen Anne style, with an irregular steep roofline, varied cladding, asymmetrical massing, spindlework porches and corbelled chimneys. Its interior has a formal entrance hall, grand oak staircase and stone fireplaces. It is one of few high-style Queen Anne homes south of Lake Street in River Forest and possibly the oldest example of the local spindlework subtype.
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 07000898, listed September 5, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 309 Keystone Ave., River Forest |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | September 5, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000898 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1882 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single dwelling; the exterior was rehabilitated in the late 1980s using a ca. 1890s photo, with the porches and chimneys re-created. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.88667, -87.81822 (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 07000898.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q104855384
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.