{"nrhp_refnum":"06000380","name":"Ariston Cafe","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"413 Old Route 66","address_restricted":false,"city":"Litchfield","county":"Montgomery County","state":"IL","lat":39.17734796700006,"lon":-89.66812565499998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2006-05-05","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick restaurant building at 413 Old Route 66 in Litchfield, Montgomery County, Illinois, built in 1935 by contractor Henry A. Vasel for original owners Pete Adam and Tom Cokinos.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is locally significant under Criterion A in the areas of Commerce and Transportation as a representative example of the family-run restaurants that flourished along U.S. Route 66. It retains its original booths, counter, dining area and kitchen. It is also one of few Route 66 restaurants in Illinois still operating on the original roadbed.","narrative":"Built in 1935 along the original path of Route 66 in Litchfield, Illinois, this brick café was constructed by contractor Henry A. Vasel for restaurateurs Pete Adam and Tom Cokinos. Construction took from April to July and cost $3,625.36. The building has a curved parapet, glazed tile trim, neon signs and varied brickwork, while the interior keeps its original counter, stools, wood booths and Art Deco influenced cabinet. A banquet wing was added in 1974, and entrances and windows were altered in 1977 and 1978. Originally it also had gas pumps out front. It is significant as a surviving example of the family-owned eateries that served travelers between Chicago and St. Louis. After Interstate 55 drew away traffic, most roadside businesses closed or moved, yet this café has operated continuously since 1935 and remains a recognized landmark of the highway. Its period of significance runs from 1935 to 1956.","period_of_significance":"1935-1956","architect_builder":"Vasel, Henry A., Builder","architectural_style":"No Style (utilitarian commercial form with Art Deco influence in the interior booths)","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Has remained in operation as a restaurant since 1935; the interior is described as remarkably unaltered, with a 1974 rear wing and later window and entrance changes.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.67367-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/77/8913/28891377/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/06000380.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000380/bf13815aee-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000380/bf13815aee-1600.webp","licence":"Copyrighted free use","author":"William Brockshmidt. © May 2003. Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project.","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AristonCafe_LitchfieldIL.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">William Brockshmidt. © May 2003. Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project.</a>, Copyrighted free use, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AristonCafe_LitchfieldIL.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891377","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariston_Caf%C3%A9","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4791049"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/montgomery-county/ariston-cafe-06000380/"}