Marsh, William W., House
Why it's listed
This two-story brick house at 740 West State Street in Sycamore, Illinois, was built in 1873-75 for William Wallace Marsh. Italianate in style, it sits on a high rock-faced stone foundation under a low, nearly flat roof with wide eaves and paired brackets above a panel frieze. A tall square cupola, with Palladian window groupings on each side and decorative metal cresting, crowns the roof. Tall windows have semi-elliptical arches with keystones, and the west side has two projecting bays. The brick has been painted white. Marsh was a farmer who became an inventor of farm machinery and later superintendent of the Marsh Harvester Co., which for over 30 years was Sycamore's leading industry and produced 4,000 to 6,000 harvesters annually. He also held patents on 35 other agricultural inventions. The grove at the rear of the original tract became Marsh Park, used for chautauquas and family picnics.
Significance in brief: It is associated with William W. Marsh, inventor of the Marsh harvester and superintendent of the Marsh Harvester Co., Sycamore's leading industry for over 30 years. The company's output provided a major source of local employment. The house is also described as an unusually elaborate Italianate residence for Sycamore.
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 78003103, listed December 22, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 740 W. State St., Sycamore |
|---|---|
| County | DeKalb County |
| Listed | December 22, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78003103 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | William Wallace Marsh (builder/owner) |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture, Invention |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied private residence; brick painted white, with an early two-story brick rear addition and a recent one-story frame addition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.98963, -88.69672 (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 78003103.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8019807
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.