Moss, Henry Clay, House
Also known as: Arthur House
Why it's listed
Built in 1876 at the corner of North Main and East Roberts Streets in Paris, Illinois, this red brick house was designed as a family home with space for business use. The four-level building shows classic Italianate features: a hipped roof, scrolled wooden brackets under the eaves, symmetrical windows with limestone surrounds and carved segmental crowns, and a wrap-around porch with Tuscan columns. A projecting two-story bay with its own entrance and an ornate tin and wood canopy points to the home-office function. Inside, a cantilevered staircase, a dual-arched wall dividing the parlor and ornate oak trim continue the style. The house keeps much of its original exterior and interior character and is recognized locally for its architecture. The site also holds two log buildings, a log structure and an outhouse, moved and reconstructed after 1976 by the Edgar County Historical Society. The house now serves as a museum and archive for the society.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is locally significant under Criterion C for architecture as a well-preserved 1876 Italianate residence. It keeps a high degree of exterior and interior integrity, including limestone window crowns, bracketed cornices, a cantilevered staircase and oak trim. Its design also reflects an intended business function alongside domestic use.
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 08000295, listed April 16, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 414 N. Main St., Paris |
|---|---|
| County | Edgar County |
| Listed | April 16, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000295 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1876-1957 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian - Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a house museum and administrative storage and archives for the Edgar County Historical Society. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.61529, -87.69493 (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 08000295.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16895417
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.