Pettingill-Morron House
Also known as: Jean Morron Residence; See Also:West Bluff Historic District
Why it's listed
Built in 1868 for Moses Pettingill, this brick mansion at 1212 West Moss Avenue in Peoria is a Second Empire house with a slate mansard roof, arched dormers, ornate wooden brackets and a full-width veranda that extends into a porte-cochere. Pettingill ran a hardware store and had come to Peoria from New Hampshire in 1833. Inside are eleven rooms, a straight staircase rising to the attic, mosaic tile and parquet floors, and marble fireplaces. The house had six owners. Its last resident, Jean Morron, lived there from 1953 until her death in 1966, after her family's North Jefferson home was razed for a freeway. She brought an iron fence, a marble mantel, gas fixtures and family furniture to the new address. The Peoria Historical Society received the house in 1967 and opens it to visitors and public events. It contributes to the Moss Avenue–High Street area, which reflects the lives of Peoria's industrial leaders.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a well-preserved Victorian mansion that kept its original exterior and interior character. It is tied to Moses Pettingill, an early Peoria hardware merchant, and to its last resident, Jean Morron, who furnished it with her family's heirlooms and fittings. It also adds to the historic Moss Avenue–High Street area, which reflects how Peoria's industrial leaders lived.
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 76000724, listed April 2, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1212 W. Moss Ave., Peoria |
|---|---|
| County | Peoria County |
| Listed | April 2, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76000724 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Moses Pettingill (first owner and builder) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire (Mid-Victorian) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Peoria Historical Society since 1967, open to the public as a house museum and used for social events; preservation work is ongoing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | West Bluff Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.69415, -89.61159 (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 76000724.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7179347
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.