Beach, Thomas A., House
Why it's listed
This two-story brick house at 402 E. Hickory Street in Fairbury, Illinois, was built in 1872 by Thomas A. Beach, with mason T.D. George. Beach added the back half about 1886 and a new front porch near 1900. Its Italianate character shows in long slender windows, a central tower, double brackets at the eaves and a wide overhang at the gutter line. The walls are triple brick with air spaces connected to basement grates and attic exhausts, an early ventilation and insulation system. Built-in gutters, a numbered porch foundation and buried methane equipment for gas lighting add to its technical interest. Beach was a leading farmer and businessman and a founder of a predecessor of the National Bank of Fairbury. His granddaughter Alma Lewis James, a local author and historian, later lived there. The house stayed in the family until 1981 and was restored in 1981-82. It is valued for its preserved original character and its local associations.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as a fine, well-preserved example of 19th century Italianate architecture with notable construction techniques, including triple-brick walls with insulating air spaces, ventilation channels, and built-in gutters. It is also locally significant for the Beach family, whose members contributed to Fairbury's social, economic and political life.
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 83000324, listed July 28, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 402 E. Hickory St., Fairbury |
|---|---|
| County | Livingston County |
| Listed | July 28, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000324 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Thomas A. Beach / T.D. George, Mason |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as private residence and unoccupied at the time of the form; restored in 1981-82 and in excellent condition. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 40.75003, -88.50839 (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 83000324.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7786846
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.