Deere, John, House
Also known as: Red Cliff
Why it's listed
Red Cliff is a three-story frame house in Moline, Illinois, built around 1875 to 1880 in the Second Empire style on a bluff above the Mississippi River. John Deere, founder of the plow company that became Deere & Company, lived here from 1880 until his death in 1886, with a view down to his factories along the river. The house has a mansard roof with dormers, three turrets, paired eave brackets, narrow clapboard siding and tall two-over-two windows with wooden hoods. Inside, a central hall, a walnut-trimmed grand staircase, parquetry floors and a third-floor billiard room survive. It later served as a sixteen-unit apartment building from 1936 to 1993, and restoration has removed stucco and additions to recover its original appearance. The house is listed for its association with Deere, who moved his plow business to Moline in 1847 and helped build the city's industrial standing. It is the only remaining Moline structure tied to his working life.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion B for its association with John Deere, inventor of the self-polishing steel plow and a leading 19th-century industrialist. It is the only surviving structure in Moline, residential or commercial, connected to his productive life. Deere lived there until his death in 1886.
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 02001756, listed February 5, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1217 11th Ave., Moline |
|---|---|
| County | Rock Island County |
| Listed | February 5, 2003 |
| Reference number | 02001756 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1875-1886 |
| Architect / builder | Salisbury, J.G., Builder |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Undergoing restoration, with materials and additions from its years as a sixteen-unit apartment building (1936-1993) being removed to return it to its appearance during Deere's residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.50178, -90.51962 (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 02001756.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6229071
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.