Baker, George, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1847 on a sloping hillside in unincorporated Glen Ellyn, this three-story farmhouse of white-painted brick on a limestone foundation was once the center of a farm of more than 390 acres. George Baker, whose father Valentine assembled the land after arriving from Europe in 1843, built the house, and a two-story wing was added to the south in 1853, giving it an upright-and-wing form. Greek Revival details include a front gable, a center entry and wide trim in the principal upstairs room. Walls of six courses of brick leave an air gap for natural cooling and warming. After a period of neglect in the early 1900s, the house was rehabilitated in the 1940s with heating, plumbing and electricity, yet it kept its original framework. It is considered locally significant as one of DuPage County's oldest homes and a rare brick-and-stone farmhouse of its era. A shed and a garage on the one-acre lot do not contribute.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be locally significant under Criterion C for architecture, as a particularly fine Greek Revival farmhouse of the Gable Front and Wing subtype. It is one of the oldest residences in DuPage County and predates the area's more elaborate houses by more than two decades. It is also one of the few area buildings of its period built of brick and stone rather than wood.
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 10000038, listed March 1, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1 S. 500 Taylor Rd., Glen Ellyn |
|---|---|
| County | DuPage County |
| Listed | March 1, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000038 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1847, 1853 |
| Architect / builder | George Baker (assumed) |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century: Greek Revival; Other: Upright and Wing |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single-family dwelling; the interior and exterior are described as retaining integrity after modernization in the 1940s. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 41.85262, -88.05554 (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 10000038.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5536635
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.