Little Brick House
Why it's listed
Little Brick House is a six-room dwelling at 621 St. Clair in Vandalia, Illinois, built in a very simple form of the Italianate, or Tuscan Villa, style. A two-story square brick block at the front is joined by two one-story brick rooms and a frame storeroom at the back. Original wooden shutters made with pegs, small iron window locks with porcelain knobs, old door hardware, brick pathways, a summer kitchen and a woodshed survive. The grounds include native trees, gardens, a well and a cistern. The nomination cites the house as the work of a master craftsman and as an architectural type specimen. Artist James William Berry and early storekeeper Charles Prentice owned the property, and Joseph C. Burtschi, a banker and historian who edited the Documentary History of Vandalia, lived there. The house now serves as a museum holding the James Hall Library, with manuscripts, letters and books by and about the early western writer.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is tied to literary, cultural and social history and represents the work of a master craftsman and an architectural type specimen. Early owners included artist James William Berry and storekeeper Charles Prentice, and historian Joseph C. Burtschi lived there. It also houses a library devoted to writer James Hall.
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 73000701, listed June 4, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 621 St. Clair St., Vandalia |
|---|---|
| County | Fayette County |
| Listed | June 4, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000701 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate / Tuscan Villa |
| Areas of significance | Art, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition, slightly altered, on its original site, occupied and used as a museum. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 38.96090, -89.09896 (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 73000701.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6649285
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.