Smith, Ephraim, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1844-1845 by Ephraim Smith, a former Vermont millwright who settled in Sugar Grove Township, Illinois, this one-and-a-half-story farmhouse uses post-and-beam construction with timbers cut from the property and mortared brick nogging. Its Greek Revival details include a center front entrance with sidelights, transom lights and fluted pilasters, plus eyebrow windows across the front frieze. Inside are fluted trim with circular corner blocks, a tall curved entrance hall, a brick bake oven behind the dining room fireplace, and chimney cupboards. A small frame house, possibly the cabin the family lived in during construction, is attached at the northeast corner. The house was slated for demolition after a tax change, so it was moved about a mile in 1978 to a six-acre site with a similar setting. Restoration was under way using salvaged period materials. It was listed for its fine craftsmanship and as a rare surviving small Greek Revival farmhouse in rural Kane County.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the last unbutchered small frame Greek Revival farmhouse in rural Kane County. It also cites its fine craftsmanship, including fluted trim, an unusual entrance hall and a brick bake oven, and its post-and-beam construction with mortared brick nogging, which is seldom found in the area.
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 80001377, listed June 6, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NE of Sugar Grove, Sugar Grove |
|---|---|
| County | Kane County |
| Listed | June 6, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001377 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Ephraim Smith |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Moved in 1978 to save it from demolition; at the time of the form it was unoccupied and undergoing restoration, with condition rated fair. |
| Acreage | 6 |
| Coordinates | 41.77153, -88.42867 (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 80001377.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5382336
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.