Geyso, Mrs. Frank, Houses
Why it's listed
Two houses at 450 and 456 Woodland Road in Highland Park, Illinois, represent the work of architect John S. Van Bergen in the Prairie School style. The house at 450 is a cottage-like building with stucco and wood detailing, comparable to Van Bergen's Belle Bemis house of 1923-25 and reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright's Ward Willits House. The house at 456, dated 1930, is a cubic brick mass with horizontal trim, elongated windows, a balcony around the living room, a projecting pavilion for the stair hall and entry, and overhanging eaves. It relates to Van Bergen houses at 344 Elm Place, 290 Cedar and his own home at 234 Cedar. Each house sits on about half an acre. Both remain in residential use, and the inventory marks them as unaltered and in good to fair condition. They were listed as typical examples of Van Bergen's high phase and as fine Prairie School residences.
Significance in brief: The houses are presented as typical examples of John S. Van Bergen's high phase and as fine Prairie School residences. The 450 house is compared to his Belle Bemis house of 1923-25 and to Frank Lloyd Wright's Ward Willits House, while the 456 house relates to other Van Bergen houses in Highland Park.
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 82002561, listed September 29, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 450 and 456 Woodland Rd., Highland Park |
|---|---|
| County | Lake County |
| Listed | September 29, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002561 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | John S. Van Bergen |
| Architectural style | Prairie School Style |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; condition is marked good to fair and the property is marked unaltered. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.16147, -87.77769 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 82002561.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85786845
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.