Granville-Mott House
Why it's listed
Built around 1910 at 80 Laurel Avenue in Highland Park, this two-story house sits near the east end of the street, one house from Lake Michigan. Architects Thomas E. Tallmadge and Vernon Watson designed it. The house combines Tudor and Prairie School ideas. Its steep gabled roof, leaded windows and half-timbering follow the Tudor tradition, while wide overhangs, windows reaching the cornice line and stucco walls reflect the Prairie School. The plan is a basically rectangular, axial layout, with a recessed central front door beneath a ribbon of six leaded casement windows and a half-timbered gable. A porch was added in 1924 and the house was remodeled in 1937, but the exterior is otherwise intact. A coach house remains on the property. The house is considered the largest and best Highland Park work by Tallmadge and Watson. Tallmadge was a widely known architect and writer whose office produced more than 250 buildings, and he coined the term Chicago School in a 1908 article.
Significance in brief: The inventory describes it as a Tudor-Prairie house whose subtle Prairie School detailing sets it apart from other Tudor houses. It is also described as the largest and best Highland Park building by Thomas E. Tallmadge and Vernon Watson. The reviewer accepted it under criterion C.
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 82002562, listed September 29, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 80 Laurel Ave., Highland Park |
|---|---|
| County | Lake County |
| Listed | September 29, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002562 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Tallmadge and Watson |
| Architectural style | Tudor-Prairie |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rated in excellent condition, with the original residential use continuing. The porch was added in 1924 and the house was remodeled in 1937, but the exterior is otherwise described as intact. A coach house is also on the property. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.18806, -87.78770 (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 82002562.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85764344
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.