Burnham, Henry, House
Also known as: Ream's,Dr.,Office
Why it's listed
This 1 1/2-story frame cottage at the corner of North Main and High Streets in Mechanicsburg dates from about 1860. Built by Henry Burnham, a wealthy Champaign County farmer, it has an intersecting gable roof, pointed-arch windows in the gables, finely carved bargeboards, double-hung 9/6 sash windows on the first floor, and a porch across the front. Several wood-frame rear additions repeat the original form and materials and leave the Gothic Revival features unchanged. Burnham moved to the village because his wife was ill and a doctor was nearby, and he sold the house in 1867 after her death. He later built a larger house at 127 N. Main in 1880. The house reflects how farmers prospered after the railroad arrived in 1850 and chose to live in town. Of 45 intersecting-gable buildings identified in a survey of the village, this one keeps its form and Gothic Revival detailing better than most.
Significance in brief: It is tied to the agricultural economy of Mechanicsburg and the surrounding township, where wealthy farmers moved into the village after the 1850 railroad opened markets. It is also an excellent, well-preserved example of the intersecting-gable house type common in the village, retaining its Gothic Revival detailing better than other surveyed examples.
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 85001877, listed August 29, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N. Main St. & Rt. 559, Mechanicsburg |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | August 29, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001877 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Henry Burnham (builder, per history section); architect not known |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence; exterior condition listed as good, with several rear additions. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.07497, -83.55898 (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 85001877.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137606676
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.