Pleasant Home
Also known as: Mills House
Why it's listed
Pleasant Home, at 217 Home Avenue in Oak Park, Illinois, is a three-story house of buff Roman brick with stone, wood and wrought iron trim, begun in 1897. Architect George W. Maher designed it for banker John Farson in the Prairie School manner. Its leaded glass panels and woodwork repeat a tray-shaped emblem, a decorative theme that the nomination says marked the start of Maher's own modern style. The house is compared to Frank Lloyd Wright's Winslow House in River Forest, though it is described as an original design in its own right. Herbert Stephen Mills bought it in 1908 and added a second-floor bedroom in matching materials. In the 1930s the Park District of Oak Park acquired the estate, which became Mills Park. By the early 1970s senior citizens used the building, and the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest ran a museum on the second floor. The house was listed for its architecture and local history.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as a significant architectural work in the Prairie School manner, with a decorative "tray" motif repeated throughout the woodwork and leaded glass. It also notes its resemblance to Frank Lloyd Wright's Winslow House, the Maher-designed furniture, and its later role as a community park building and museum.
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 72000454, listed June 19, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 217 Home Ave., Oak Park |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | June 19, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000454 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | George W. Maher (architect); built for John Farson |
| Architectural style | Prairie School |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | National, State |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated June 19, 1996 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Park District of Oak Park, in good condition and in use as a senior citizens' center and historical society museum within a public park; some tuckpointing and trim replacement needed. |
| Acreage | 4.7 |
| Coordinates | 41.88489, -89.51567 (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 72000454.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7203886
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.