Bassett, Orland P., House
Also known as: American Beauty House
Why it's listed
This two-and-a-half story frame house at 329 East Sixth Street in Hinsdale, Illinois, was built in 1899 in the Colonial Revival style for Orland P. Bassett, a horticulturist. It stands with its original coach house on an over-one-acre corner lot in Robbins Park, a subdivision designed by landscape gardener Horace W. S. Cleveland and developed by William Robbins in 1871. The house has a side gable roof, a projecting center bay, three dormers, paired Ionic columns on the front porch, an octagonal sun porch and a porte-cochere. A 1942 remodeling by architect Harry J. Harman altered several features. In 2002 the owners rebuilt the full front porch, terrace, porte-cochere and hall fireplace from original plans and photographs. Earlier surveys rated the house as potentially significant and later significant, and it is regarded as a fine local example of early Colonial Revival design. The original architect has not been identified, though Enoch Hill Turnock is suggested as a possibility.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as a fine local example of early Colonial Revival architecture in Hinsdale. It sits in the exclusive Robbins Park subdivision laid out by Horace W. S. Cleveland and developed by William Robbins. It was built for Orland P. Bassett, a horticulturist and florist, and a 2002 restoration recovered much of its 1899 character.
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 04001299, listed December 7, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 329 E. Sixth St., Hinsdale |
|---|---|
| County | DuPage County |
| Listed | December 7, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04001299 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect of the original 1899 house not found (Enoch Hill Turnock suggested as possible); 1942 remodeling by architect Harry J. Harman |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains in use as a single dwelling; 1942 alterations were partly reversed in a 2002 restoration of the front porch, porte-cochere and hall fireplace, and the rear was rebuilt. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Robbins Park Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.79877, -87.92172 (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 04001299.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7103007
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.