{"nrhp_refnum":"81000214","name":"Old Main","other_names":["Livingston C. Lord Administration Building"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Lincoln Ave. and 7th St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Charleston","county":"Coles County","state":"IL","lat":39.48422431000006,"lon":-88.17524757799998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1981-06-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Old Main (Livingston C. Lord Administration Building) is a three-story limestone building at the southwest corner of Lincoln Avenue and Seventh Street in Charleston, Coles County, Illinois. It was built from 1896 to 1899 as the first building of what is now Eastern Illinois University.","why_significant":"It is significant as the core of the original campus of Eastern Illinois State Normal School, created in 1895, and remains a landmark of the university. Its castellated roofline and central tower reflect the medieval-style buildings promoted during Governor John P. Altgeld's administration as an inexpensive way to provide attractive, useful structures.","narrative":"Old Main is the first building of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, built between 1896 and 1899 for the newly created Eastern Illinois State Normal School. Designed by architect George H. Miller and completed by local contractor Alexander Briggs, it is faced in rough Indiana Bedford limestone and covers nearly an acre. A central tower rises 122 feet with four turrets, flanked by octagonal towers and a castellated roofline. Granite columns support three Gothic arches at the entrance, and the interior includes a tall vestibule, marble columns and oak trim. The style echoes buildings from the administration of Governor John P. Altgeld, who favored it as an economical way to build attractive public structures. Originally it held all school offices, classrooms, an assembly hall, library and gymnasium. It was renamed for president Livingston C. Lord in 1956. Interiors have been remodeled many times, and some exterior doors, windows and drives changed, yet it keeps its original character and remains a campus landmark.","period_of_significance":"1896-1899","architect_builder":"George H. Miller, Architect; Alexander Briggs, local contractor","architectural_style":"Unsophisticated interpretation of the early Medieval style","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied by administrative offices and a few classrooms; condition listed as excellent, with interior extensively remodeled and only slight exterior alterations.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.139595-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/94/8918/28891894/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/81000214.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/81000214/1de5f49360-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/81000214/1de5f49360-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"jrmyers","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Main_2012-09-21_00-32-11.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">jrmyers</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:Old_Main_2012-09-21_00-32-11.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891894","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Main_(Eastern_Illinois_University)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16896166"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/coles-county/old-main-81000214/"}