Willits, Levi, House
Also known as: New Boston Museum
Why it's listed
Built in 1856 by Levi Willits, this two-story brick house sits at the corner of Main and Second Streets in New Boston, Illinois, near the Mississippi River. Its bricks came from a brickyard in Mannon, and some carry the maker's "J.S." mark. The low-pitched gabled roof, six-over-six windows and flat wood sills and lintels reflect the Greek Revival style, and the parlor has Doric pilasters and entablatures. The east section was added shortly after construction, extending the house about 14 feet 6 inches. Other changes followed: a late-1800s kitchen addition, an office addition of 1908-1910 for a telephone company, 1920s porches, and conversion to apartments. An original brick summer kitchen survives behind the house. The house was listed for its architecture, as a representative local example of a mid-19th century home with Greek Revival details, during a period of significance running from 1856 to the early 1860s. It now houses a museum.
Significance in brief: The house is locally significant under Criterion C for architecture as a representative mid-19th century house with Greek Revival details. Those details include horizontal sills and lintels, six-over-six windows, a low-pitched gabled roof and interior woodwork. It was extended to the east soon after it was built.
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 95000488, listed April 20, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 202 Main St., New Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Mercer County |
| Listed | April 20, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000488 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1856-c. 1860s |
| Architect / builder | Willits, Levi, Builder |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (Mid-19th Century) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historically a single dwelling, later divided into apartments; now used as a museum (New Boston Museum) and owned by the City of New Boston. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.16863, -90.99982 (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 95000488.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q23073874
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.