Emmert-Zippel House
Also known as: Old Six Mile Museum
Why it's listed
Built between about 1837 and 1848, this two-story clapboard I-house on Maryville Road in Granite City began as the home of farmer William Emmert in the rural Six Mile settlement. It has a five-bay front, a central hall, a limestone foundation and a rear kitchen wing added around 1848. Emmert became a leading fruit grower who supplied St. Louis markets, including Union Army agents during the Civil War. In 1884 the property passed to August and Elizabeth Zippel, German immigrants whose family farmed it for a century. They made changes in the late 1880s, including a smaller front porch, a new staircase, grooved window trim and decorative mantels, and added a brick smokehouse. A local historical society bought the house in 1984, opened it as a museum and in 1994 removed later siding to restore its original look. Its architecture and well-preserved farmstead buildings underpin its listing for architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant under Criterion C as a surviving mid-19th-century I-house with later 1880s updates. It also records the farm history of William Emmert, a prominent fruit grower, and the Zippel family, who farmed the land for 100 years. Later it became a museum run by a local historical society.
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 96000511, listed May 2, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3279 Maryville Rd., 2mi. N of IL 162, Granite City |
|---|---|
| County | Madison County |
| Listed | May 2, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000511 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1837 - c. 1880s |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century (I-house) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Operated as a museum (Old Six Mile Museum); exterior restored in 1994 by removing synthetic siding. |
| Acreage | 1.6 |
| Coordinates | 38.72212, -90.10420 (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 96000511.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16891079
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.