Shriver Farmstead
Also known as: Shriver House
Why it's listed
Built between 1858 and 1860 by the John Ryan family, this farmstead sits on a small rise in the northwest corner of Virden Township, Macoupin County, where four townships meet. Its core is a two-story Italianate brick house with paired brackets, rounded arch lintels, a projecting central gable and a widow's walk. The bricks were made on the site. A brick smokehouse and a wooden barn on a stone foundation complete the group. The barn follows a basilican plan with a central through-passage and hewn oak beams joined with wooden pegs. The property passed from the Ryan family to Samuel Davidson, then in 1890 to Dr. William Shriver, a local financier, who gave it to his son Earl in 1904. It has stayed in the Shriver family since. The nomination highlights the intact setting, materials and workmanship, the house's rambling form, and the barn's blend of regional building traditions.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farmstead has a high degree of integrity and reflects a prosperous 19th-century farm. The house is described as one of the finest examples of Italianate design in Macoupin County, adapted to a rural residence with an unusual rambling form. The barn blends New World Dutch, Pennsylvania and English characteristics, and the smokehouse illustrates the bond between land, livestock and the farm family.
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 80001387, listed September 29, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NW of Virden, Virden |
|---|---|
| County | Macoupin County |
| Listed | September 29, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001387 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1858-60 |
| Architectural style | Italianate (house); basilican-plan barn combining New World Dutch, Pennsylvania and English characteristics |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | House occupied as a private residence by the Shriver family; barn used for equipment storage; smokehouse in good condition but not used for some time. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 39.51207, -89.78066 (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 80001387.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16900152
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.