Taft Farmstead
Why it's listed
Near Rochester in Sangamon County, this two-acre farmstead preserves nearly all of the buildings of a prosperous central Illinois farm from the early 1900s. Bill Dickerson built the barn in 1906 and the Henry Taft house in 1912. The white clapboard house has a pyramid roof and a two-story porch with four fluted Doric columns, giving a classical look to what would otherwise be a typical four-square farmhouse. Inside, the oak and pine woodwork, hardware, light fixtures and steam radiators survive. A summer kitchen, a walnut-framed barn, a sheep barn, storage sheds, a chicken coop, an outhouse and a garage complete the group. Together they show a diversified operation with grain, horses, cattle, sheep and fowl. The farm was listed because it is an unusually intact, unaltered example of its type, built new rather than on an earlier farmstead. It has remained in the Taft family since Henry Taft, its original owner, built it.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a complete, unaltered example of a prosperous early 20th-century central Illinois farmstead, with a remarkable number of intact buildings and few intrusions. It reflects a diversified operation of grain, work horses, cattle, sheep and fowl. The farmhouse adapts neo-classical revival styling to what would otherwise be a typical four-square farmhouse.
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 80001409, listed November 20, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SR 3, Rochester |
|---|---|
| County | Sangamon County |
| Listed | November 20, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001409 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Mr. Bill Dickerson |
| Architectural style | Neo-classical revival farmhouse (adapted from a four-square form) |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence and agricultural property; the house is described as largely unaltered, with only the kitchen and bathroom remodeled. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 39.75245, -89.55954 (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 80001409.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20710761
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.