Keys, Alvin S., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1929-30 on a nearly three-acre lot across from the Illini Country Club in Leland Grove, this two-and-one-half-story Colonial Revival house was designed by Springfield architect Murray S. Hanes for insurance agent and county official Alvin S. Keys and his wife Helen. The T-shaped wood-frame house has clapboard siding, a brick foundation, undressed limestone chimneys and a garage at basement level. Exterior ornament is deliberately restrained to emphasize a more elaborate front entrance, a common 1920s convention. Inside, the curving staircase, painted woodwork and original wood floors survive. Landscape designer Virginia Prince laid out the grounds. The house has had only two owners, and Keys lived there from 1930 until 1979 and made few changes. It was listed for its architecture, as one of Springfield's finest suburban Colonial Revival homes, with high design quality and unusually complete original character, both inside and out.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as one of Springfield's best examples of 20th-century suburban Colonial Revival architecture in its late asymmetrical form. Its large scale, design quality, good proportions and exceptional integrity place it among the best suburban residences of its class. It also reflects the 1920s growth of automobile-oriented suburbs around Springfield's country club.
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 94000432, listed May 6, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1600 Park Dr., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Sangamon County |
| Listed | May 6, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000432 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929-30 |
| Architect / builder | Hanes, Murray S. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent physical condition and strikingly unchanged from its 1930 appearance; still a single-family dwelling. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 39.78215, -89.68418 (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 94000432.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19462739
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.