Gridley, Mrs., A. W., House
Also known as: Ravine Place
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Why it's listed
Ravine Place, at 637 North Batavia Avenue in Batavia, Illinois, is a Prairie School house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in September 1906 for Mrs. A. W. Gridley. It sits on a wooded 2.3-acre lot beside a gently sloping wildflower ravine. The house has earth-toned stucco walls, light brown cedar trim, a low hipped roof with wide eaves, and bands of mullioned windows. Its cruciform plan includes a long one-story south porch reaching toward the ravine, and inside the rooms flow into one another around Roman brick fireplaces and oak built-ins. It was listed for its architecture, as the work of a master and a strong example of Wright's Prairie period, comparable to his Willits and Little houses. Later changes include repairs after 1940s water damage, restuccoing in 1987, and a 1992 kitchen addition. A circa 1880 carriage barn was moved to the lot in 1988. The house remains a single-family home.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant under Criterion C as a work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright and as an excellent example of Prairie School architecture from the height of his Prairie period. It shows a cruciform plan, flowing interior spaces, horizontal lines, earth-toned natural materials and a design fitted to its ravine site.
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 92001850, listed February 3, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 637 N. Batavia Ave., Batavia |
|---|---|
| County | Kane County |
| Listed | February 3, 1993 |
| Reference number | 92001850 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1906 |
| Architect / builder | Wright, Frank Lloyd |
| Architectural style | Prairie School |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a single-family dwelling; repaired and renovated in 1987 and 1992, including a new kitchen addition, and a circa 1880 carriage barn was moved onto the property in 1988 (noncontributing). |
| Acreage | 2.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.86000, -88.31378 (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 92001850.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q12059131
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.