Price-Prather House

What is Price-Prather House?

The house is a textbook Italianate design from just after the Civil War. Its slate roof is laid in several sections, and the cornice beneath it is lined with brackets and a row of small, tooth-like blocks called dentils. Tall, narrow windows with arched tops sit under brick hoods, and a porch wraps around the front.

What sets it apart is its link to farming. Both owners made their living and their names raising livestock, so the house tells a story about central Illinois agriculture as much as about architecture.

History of Price-Prather House

James R. Price, a livestock breeder, had the house built in 1868. In 1882 it passed to John F. Prather, an influential breeder of Shorthorn cattle. Prather was among the first in Illinois to raise the breed, came to be seen as an expert on it, led the American Shorthorn Association as its president and held a seat on the State Board of Agriculture. It joined the National Register in 1991.

Visiting Price-Prather House: tips

Treat the house as private property and view it from the street; it is not described as open for tours. A few minutes is plenty for photos of the porch and roofline. There is a restaurant about a block away and a gas station about 0.4 mile off, handy if you are passing through town.

The nearest stops on the list are back toward Springfield: Carpenter Park is about 7.4 miles away, and the Lazy A Motel and the Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack are about 9.2 and 9.5 miles off.