Sullivan, Joseph P. O., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1895 at 142 South 17th Avenue in Maywood, this 2-1/2 story frame house rests on a limestone foundation and is sheathed in narrow clapboards under a hip roof. A broad front porch, enclosed probably in the 1920s, spans the facade, and a gabled dormer holds a low Palladian window, the only exterior nod to classical design. Inside, a simple Foursquare plan includes a geometric stair balustrade, wide ceiling moldings and an unusual ribbon-pattern parquet floor in the front hall. A rear barn serves as a garage. The house was built by the Proviso Land Association, a developer that ranked second only to the Maywood Company in shaping the village and built many similar homes. Nearly all of those have since been demolished or altered. This one is regarded as the best remaining example, because only modest changes were made by a single family, which owned it from the time it was built.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be Maywood's best surviving example of a Proviso Land Association house, since the others have been demolished or substantially altered. It retains excellent exterior integrity and largely unaltered interior detailing. Its simplified Foursquare form and Palladian window reflect the classical influence that followed the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.
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 92000495, listed May 22, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 142 S. 17th Ave., Maywood |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | May 22, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000495 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca1895 |
| Architect / builder | Proviso Land Association |
| Architectural style | Late 19th Century and Early 20th Century American Movements: Foursquare |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; the form describes the house as having excellent integrity and being kept up through constant repair. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.88712, -87.84245 (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 92000495.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q104849305
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.