Fisher-Nash-Griggs House
Also known as: Cottage Home
Why it's listed
Set well back on a wide, landscaped lot along Ottawa Avenue, this brick house in Ottawa, Illinois, was begun between 1852 and 1857 by George Smith Fisher and grew over the next six decades. The Fisher family built the north block and dining room. The Nash family added a kitchen, a west wing and a wooden summer kitchen around 1861-63, followed by later bathroom additions. The Griggs family then gave the house its Classical Revival touches between 1912 and 1916, including a deeper front porch, Ionic parlor columns, a wrought-iron fence, a porte-cochère and a second story over the south section. Its Greek Revival features include a six-column Doric porch, a doorway crowned with an anthemion design, symmetrical windows and a low hipped roof. The house is considered locally significant for its architecture, as one of the best high-style Greek Revival homes in Ottawa. Architect Sylvanus Grow is said to have designed it.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is locally significant under Criterion C as one of the best examples of a high-style Greek Revival home with Classical Revival updates in Ottawa. It grew in seven stages under three owning families, and its Greek Revival entry, porch and interior woodwork and its Classical Revival porte-cochère and columns survive. The exterior has changed little since 1916.
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 98001353, listed November 27, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1333 Ottawa Ave., Ottawa |
|---|---|
| County | LaSalle County |
| Listed | November 27, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98001353 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1852 - c. 1916 |
| Architect / builder | Grow, Sylvannus, Architect |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival; Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single-family dwelling. It was divided into apartments in the 1950s, and the main-floor evidence of that has since been removed. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.34219, -88.81090 (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 98001353.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5454746
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.