Built 1873 (1873)-74 Opened 1874 Added to NRHP 21 February 1990 | NRHP Reference # 90000156 Area 2,000 m² Architect George I. Barnett | |
 | ||
Architectural style Second Empire architecture in Europe Similar St Mary of Victories Church, Grand Avenue Water To, Missouri Governor's Mansion | ||
The Samuel Moody Grubbs House is a historic house located at 805 E. Union Ave. in Litchfield, Illinois. The house was built in 1873-74 for Samuel Moody Grubbs, a banker who later became Litchfield's mayor. George Ingham Barnett, a prominent St. Louis architect, designed the Second Empire house; it is the only standing Barnett design in Illinois. The design is typical of the second half of Barnett's career, when he shifted from Italianate to Second Empire designs, and represents a popular style in postbellum America. A mansard roof with slate tiles tops the house; a cornice running along the roofline features paired brackets. The front of the house features a wraparound porch supported by columns. The house's corners have bold quoins. In a deviation from the typical rectangular plans of Second Empire houses, Barnett gave the house a cross axis plan with projecting wings.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 21, 1990.