Hayward-Hill House
Also known as: L.V. Hill House
Why it's listed
Standing near the intersection of two state highways in Hillsboro, this two-story brick house with a low hip roof is an example of Italianate design. It has a squarish L-shaped block, paired wooden consoles under narrow eaves, tall segmental-arched windows with decorated cast iron lintels, and a front veranda with incised ornament. Art glass tops both front entrances. Inside, the original walnut staircase and three fireplaces survive. The house was probably built around 1850, replacing a small frame house on the site. John Hayward, who arrived in Hillsboro in 1834 and helped found the Hillsboro Academy, lived here. Attorney L. V. Hill, who backed the Hillsboro Electric Railway Company and helped annex and subdivide neighborhoods, bought the house in 1904, and his family kept it until 1967. Later changes included the removal of a rear dependency and the iron fence, new porches, and apartment conversion in the 1960s. A state survey ranked it among the three finest Italianate homes in the county.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to John Hayward, a pioneer Hillsboro businessman and founder of the Hillsboro Academy, and to L. V. Hill, a prominent attorney and developer. It also illustrates the Italianate style through its squarish block, low hip roof, paired consoles and ornamental lintels. The Illinois Historic Structures Survey ranked it among the three finest Italianate residences remaining in Montgomery County.
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 80001399, listed May 8, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 540 S. Main St., Hillsboro |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | May 8, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001399 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Education, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in good condition and used as a private residence; it was divided into apartments in the 1960s, and the original walnut staircase and three fireplaces remain. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.15643, -89.48352 (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 80001399.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17300100
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.