Thompson, James S., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1867 at 804 North Street in New Boston, Illinois, this two-story brick house is a large Italianate residence with a front-gabled roof, a cupola and a full-width front porch. Tall basement windows rising about five feet above ground make it look like three stories. Wide eaves with paired brackets, cast iron window pediments and cast iron balconies are typical of the style. Inside, original woodwork, hardwood floors, mahogany stair railings, cast iron fireplaces and a large pocket door survive. The house sits on about two acres with outbuildings from 1867, including a brick washhouse, wooden barn, brick wood storage house, four-hole privy and a children's playhouse. Later changes include replacement windows around 1950, a rebuilt rear porch in 2000 and a modernized kitchen in 1999. It was listed for its architecture, as a well-preserved example of Italianate design in Mercer County. The architect and builder are unknown.
Significance in brief: The nomination marks the house as significant under Criterion C for architecture, as a large high-style example of Italianate design. Features include a front-gabled roof, cupola, bracketed eaves, cast iron window pediments and balconies, and original interior woodwork and hardwood floors.
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 02000846, listed December 3, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 804 North St., New Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Mercer County |
| Listed | December 3, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000846 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1867 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition and still in use as a single dwelling, with repairs and alterations made in 1999-2001. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 41.17638, -90.99656 (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 02000846.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20710023
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.