Beatty, Ross, House
Why it's listed
Built between 1890 and 1900 on Sheridan Road in Highland Park, this large frame house sits on about three-quarters of an acre on the east side of the road, backing onto a ravine. Its formal presentation mixes Queen Anne massing with Classical details. Pediments top many of the windows, and front dormers hold Palladian windows, with hooded moldings on the upper windows and some bracketing under the front roofline. The facade bows out on each side of the formal entrance, where beveled and chased glass lights flank the door. Narrow shiplap siding survives in excellent condition, and the roof is covered in black asphalt shingles. The house is associated with Ross Beatty, an organizer of the Midland Steel Company, which was later absorbed into Inland Steel Company. It is considered typical of the large frame homes that Chicago's early entrepreneurs built in the late nineteenth century, and it remains a single-family residence.
Significance in brief: The house combines Queen Anne massing with Classical detailing in an unusual way. It is typical of the large frame late 19th century homes built by Chicago's early entrepreneurs. Ross Beatty was an organizer of the Midland Steel Company, later absorbed into Inland Steel Company.
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 82002554, listed September 29, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1499 Sheridan Rd., Highland Park |
|---|---|
| County | Lake County |
| Listed | September 29, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002554 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne - Classical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent; still used as a single-family residence. Possibly altered, but this is unknown. Newly painted cream with gold trim at the time of the survey. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 42.17887, -87.78735 (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 82002554.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85797941
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.