Ives, Gideon, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1857 at 408 East Jefferson Street in New Boston, Illinois, this two-story brick house combines Italianate design with Greek Revival details. It has an asymmetrical, cross-gabled plan, a central cupola, wide eaves with paired brackets, and tall windows topped with cast-iron hoods. The bricks were made on site. Inside, a curved cantilevered staircase with walnut rail and richly detailed woodwork reflect the transition between the two styles. Its original porches were removed in the 1970s, but photographs and the twin house across the street document them. Gideon Ives and his business partner Elmore J. Dennison operated the largest general store in Mercer County and built mirror-image homes facing each other, starting in 1855. The house was listed for its architecture, as an excellent local example of an asymmetrical Italianate home, in a town where most comparable mid-19th-century houses have been lost or heavily altered. A carriage house predating about 1880 stands on the lot.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is locally significant under Criterion C as an excellent example of an asymmetrical, cross-gabled Italianate house in New Boston. Few comparable mid-19th-century houses survive there unaltered. It was built by Gideon Ives, who with partner Elmore J. Dennison ran the largest general store in Mercer County, and it has a mirror-image twin across the street.
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 00001332, listed November 8, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 408 E. Jefferson St., New Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Mercer County |
| Listed | November 8, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00001332 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1857 |
| Architectural style | Italianate; Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition, in use as a single dwelling, with an extensive rehabilitation in progress since 1997. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 41.16953, -90.99443 (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 00001332.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q23073904
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.