Quinby, Ivory, House
Also known as: Quinby,House
Why it's listed
Built in 1867 at 605 North 6th Street in Monmouth, Illinois, this two-story wood-frame house combines classical symmetry with picturesque ornament. It has a painted clapboard exterior, pedimented gable roofs, a central pavilion with a richly decorated entrance, and paired round-headed windows. Trim blends Greek Revival and Italianate details, including paired cornice brackets and incised corner pilasters. A bracketed bay window was added before 1886 and a two-tier front portico in 1888. Inside, the main staircase, three marble fireplaces and built-in wooden ice storage chests survive. The house was designed by John Crombie Cochrane, who worked with Alfred H. Piquenard on the Illinois and Iowa State Capitols. It was built for Judge Ivory Quinby, a lawyer, civic leader and longtime Monmouth College trustee. Three generations of the Quinby family lived here and served the college. In 1965 the family gave the house to the college as the president's residence.
Significance in brief: The house is significant as the work of nineteenth-century architect John Crombie Cochrane (1835-1887), who worked with Alfred H. Piquenard on the Illinois and Iowa State Capitols. Many of Cochrane's other buildings no longer exist. It is also significant for its ties to three generations of the prominent Quinby family, who supported Monmouth College.
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 80001415, listed November 20, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 605 N. 6th St., Monmouth |
|---|---|
| County | Warren County |
| Listed | November 20, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001415 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | J. C. Cochrane |
| Architectural style | Combination of Greek Revival and Italianate elements, classical in form and picturesque in ornament |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent and altered, on its original site. The Quinby family donated it to Monmouth College in 1965 for use as the college president's home, and it is occupied. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.91713, -90.64805 (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 80001415.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16899039
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.