Homestead, The
Why it's listed
Eight stories of red brick rise on Hinman Avenue in east Evanston, two blocks from Lake Michigan and near Northwestern University. This apartment hotel opened in 1928 to a design by Philip Arthur Danielson, who also owned and managed it for decades. The T-shaped building has hollow clay tile walls and reinforced concrete. Its Colonial Revival front features a veranda with Doric columns, French doors, a pedimented cornice and a mansard roof section. Inside, the lobby is furnished on a residential scale, and the lounge has a paneled fireplace wall and delicate plaster ceiling medallions. Its 91 units mix hotel rooms and studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. The building is considered important for its role in Evanston's apartment hotel trade, which met the needs of both short-term visitors and longer-term residents. It is also valued as a refined local example of 1920s revival architecture. It has operated as an apartment hotel for 77 years without a break.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is locally significant under Criterion A for Commerce, for its role in the development of Evanston's apartment hotel industry. It is also significant under Criterion C for its Colonial Revival architecture, with a coherent design uniting exterior and interior. It has operated as an apartment hotel without interruption for 77 years, unlike the other seven apartment hotels in Evanston.
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 05001607, listed February 1, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1625 Hinman Ave., Evanston |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | February 1, 2006 |
| Reference number | 05001607 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927/1928-1955 |
| Architect / builder | Danielson, Philip Arthur, architect |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as an apartment hotel, with 91 units (35 hotel rooms and 56 apartments), a restaurant and a lounge. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.04625, -87.67761 (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 05001607.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q96409012
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.