Schlosser, Frank, Complex
Also known as: Heritage House Museum
Why it's listed
This small complex on West Walnut Street in Okawville, Illinois, preserves the home and workplaces of the Schlosser family. It includes a wood-frame residence, a harness shop, a laundry, a barn, three small outbuildings, and fences, wells and sidewalks. The buildings are vernacular late- and post-Victorian designs, each different in function but unified by similar scale, plain materials and minimal ornament. Frank Schlosser opened the harness shop in 1890 and ran it until his death in 1941. His wife and daughters operated the laundry, which drew much of its business from guests at the town's mineral springs hotels. After the daughters died in 1982, the contents of the buildings were found preserved intact, including toys, postcards, sheet music, records, harness-making tools and stock, magazines, a 1930 Buick and a surrey. The property matters because the entire site survives complete, showing the commercial and family life of a German-descended Midwestern household in the early twentieth century.
Significance in brief: The property is significant because the whole site survives intact, with its original contents, as the social and commercial setting of a Midwestern family of German descent. The harness shop reflects the area's agricultural history, and the laundry served guests of the town's mineral springs hotels and baths. The preserved furnishings and artifacts show daily life in the first third of the twentieth century.
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 83000337, listed August 15, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W. Walnut St., Okawville |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | August 15, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000337 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- (specific dates: House 1908, Harness Shop 1890) |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Midwestern late- and post-Victorian |
| Areas of significance | Other, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Operated as the Heritage House Museum; the form marks the property as unoccupied, in good condition, unaltered and on its original site. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 38.43470, -89.55172 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 83000337.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15223713
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.