{"nrhp_refnum":"02000542","name":"Elgin Tower Building","other_names":["Home Banks Building"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"100 E. Chicago St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Elgin","county":"Kane County","state":"IL","lat":42.039371939000034,"lon":-88.28439076399997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2002-05-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 15-story Art Deco office tower at 100 E. Chicago Street in Fountain Square, downtown Elgin, Kane County, Illinois, built 1928-1929 as the Home Banks Building and designed by architect W.G. Knoebel.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is significant under Criterion A for commerce, as a symbol of Elgin's commercial life that reached its peak as a business center in the post-World War II era. It is also significant under Criterion C as a well-preserved example of Art Deco architecture, with limestone and granite facades, stylized relief carving and classical details. It is the tallest structure in Elgin and one of only two Art Deco buildings in the city.","narrative":"Rising 15 stories and 186 feet above Fountain Square, this Art Deco office tower dominates the skyline of downtown Elgin, Illinois. Designed by W.G. Knoebel and built in 1928-1929, it was first the home of Home National Bank, which replaced its three-story building on the site. The facade of Bedford limestone and gray granite carries stylized eagles, Roman fasces, Corinthian columns and zigzag trim, and the lobby keeps its marble walls, floors and two hand-operated elevators. The bank failed in 1932, and the building was renamed the Elgin Tower Building in 1934. It reached its commercial peak in the post-World War II years, when Walgreens and many professional offices filled it. Downtown declined from the 1960s, but a restoration begun in 1996 returned the street-level facade to its original look. The building is listed for its role in Elgin's commerce and as a distinctive example of Art Deco design.","period_of_significance":"1929-1952","architect_builder":"Knoebel, W.G., Architect; St. Louis Bank Building and Equipment Company, Builder","architectural_style":"Art Deco","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still in use as commercial and professional offices; a restoration of the exterior began in 1996, and some upper floors were undergoing renovation at the time of the form.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.234308-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/0/8932/28893200/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/02000542.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/02000542/45ef7f8eef-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/02000542/45ef7f8eef-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Lillerphoto","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elgin_Tower_Building_-_January_2011.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Lillerphoto</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elgin_Tower_Building_-_January_2011.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28893200","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elgin_Tower_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5360064"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/kane-county/elgin-tower-building-02000542/"}