Davis, David, III & IV, House
Also known as: Davis-Thetard
Why it's listed
This clapboard house at 1005 E. Jefferson in Bloomington was built in the late 1880s or early 1890s and remodeled extensively in 1898 in the Georgian Revival style. Chicago architect George Lyon Harvey designed the remodeling, which was a wedding present to David Davis III, grandson of Judge David Davis. Features include a verandah porch with Ionic columns, a fanlight entry with leaded glass, a Palladian window, Ionic corner pilasters, carved oak woodwork and six surviving wood mantels. The house stood empty for a decade after the 1920s and was later divided into apartments. Restoration to a single-family home began in 1980, guided by the original 1898 blueprints. The house is described as the purest Georgian Revival example in Bloomington and sits well back from a brick-paved street lined with 1890s homes. It was home to David Davis III and IV, a family prominent in farming and Illinois politics.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is the purest example of Georgian Revival architecture in Bloomington, with abundant exterior and interior detail. It also sits in a largely intact 1890s streetscape. It was home to David Davis III and IV, members of a politically and financially influential family descended from Judge David Davis.
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 82000400, listed November 12, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1005 E. Jefferson, Bloomington |
|---|---|
| County | McLean County |
| Listed | November 12, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82000400 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1898 |
| Architect / builder | George L. Harvey - Chicago, Il. |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; restoration from apartments back to a single-family dwelling began in 1980, with exterior in good shape and interior work ongoing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.48052, -88.97994 (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 82000400.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5232866
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.