Whitney, William, House
Also known as: Hallmark House
Why it's listed
Built in 1869 on a rise at the corner of First Street and Park Avenue, this Italianate house was among the first residences in Hinsdale. It is a wood balloon-frame building with an L-shaped plan, segmental arch windows, paired eave brackets, rope cornice molding and a full-width front porch. Levi and Maria Stodder had it built, and William Whitney bought it in 1870. Whitney, a former DuPage County circuit clerk and state legislator, lived there until 1879. In 1872 he drafted and circulated the petition that led to a referendum, approved 60 to 2 in March 1873, making Hinsdale an incorporated village. Financial reverses after the Panic of 1873 pushed him out of local records, and a historian later called him a forgotten man with a memorable deed. Apart from a 1950s rear kitchen enlargement, the exterior remains close to its 1880s appearance, and many interior details, including a marble fireplace and walnut stair bannister, survive.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to William Whitney, who lived there from 1870 to 1879 and led the 1872-73 effort to incorporate Hinsdale as a village. He was a DuPage County clerk, state legislator and real estate developer who later faded from public record. The house also keeps excellent exterior integrity and is the best preserved of the few remaining Italianate buildings in Hinsdale.
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 89001731, listed October 19, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 142 E. First St., Hinsdale |
|---|---|
| County | DuPage County |
| Listed | October 19, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001731 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1872-1873 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single dwelling and for health care/medical business/office; exterior almost unchanged from the 1880s apart from the rear, and a new carriage-house-style garage was added in 1988. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Robbins Park Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.80129, -87.92456 (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 89001731.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8020316
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.