Childs, Robert A. and Mary, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1888 on one of Hinsdale's main residential streets, three blocks south of the train station, this Queen Anne house is among the largest 19th-century homes in the village. It measures about 43 by 65 feet and has a steeply pitched hipped roof, large gabled dormers, a wrap-around porch and a massive tower at the southeast corner. Hundreds of wooden bull's-eye moldings decorate the cornices and gables, and their round shape is echoed in porch balustrade cutouts, leaded glass transoms and curved-edge wood shingles. Eastlake-style incised carving appears on the trim, and the interior has oak woodwork, plaster ceiling medallions and an ornate staircase. Alterations are modest: a kitchen addition and a greenhouse at the rear, a 1954 garage, one replaced window and new cedar roof shingles. It was recognized for its architecture, as the only large Queen Anne house in Hinsdale of its roof type to keep its original porch spindlework.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C for its architecture. It is described as the only large Queen Anne house in Hinsdale with a hipped roof and cross gables that keeps its original porch spindlework. No other house in the village has so many bull's-eye moldings on its exterior. It retains most of its original massing and details.
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 00000476, listed May 11, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 318 S. Garfield Ave., Hinsdale |
|---|---|
| County | DuPage County |
| Listed | May 11, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000476 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1888 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; the roof was re-shingled in cedar in the 1990s and a kitchen addition, a circa 1930 greenhouse and a 1954 garage were added. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.79892, -87.92771 (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 00000476.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7341315
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.