Orendorff, Ulysses G., House
Why it's listed
This large house at 345 W. Elm Street in Canton, Illinois, was built in 1902 for Ulysses G. Orendorff, an officer of the farm-equipment firm Parlin & Orendorff, which his father co-founded. Chicago architect Robert C. Spencer designed it. It has remained the largest and finest residence in the city. The exterior combines Flemish-bond brick on the first floor with plaster and dark-stained wood strips above. Inside, a three-story stair hall with leaded casement windows is the main feature, along with mahogany trim in the dining room and glass mosaic fireplaces. O. C. Simonds laid out the grounds. Spencer was a charter member of the Prairie School in Chicago. The house shows his shift from English half-timbered design toward a rectilinear early modern style, and it is described as the link between those phases. It was recognized for its owner, its architect, its early Prairie School character and its aesthetic quality. At the time of the nomination it was unoccupied and in fair condition.
Significance in brief: It was the largest and finest residence in Canton and was built for a leading citizen whose family firm, Parlin & Orendorff, was a major farm-equipment manufacturer. It is also an early Prairie School work by Spencer and links his earlier half-timbered designs to his later modern ones. The form also credits its fine massing, brickwork, and open stair 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 71000292, listed December 9, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 345 W. Elm St., Canton |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | December 9, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000292 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1902 |
| Architect / builder | Robert C. Spencer (architect); grounds laid out by O. C. Simonds, landscape gardener of Chicago |
| Architectural style | Early Prairie School / early modern |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied, in fair condition, and largely unaltered; the grounds were not well cared for at the time. The upper floor of the carriage house had been converted to a dormitory that was no longer in use. |
| Acreage | 9.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.55698, -90.04262 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 71000292.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14688140
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.