{"nrhp_refnum":"84001066","name":"Will Rogers Theatre and Commercial Block","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"705-715 Monroe Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Charleston","county":"Coles County","state":"IL","lat":39.49292308200006,"lon":-88.24412228799997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-01-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story Art Deco theatre and commercial block at 705-715 Monroe Avenue in downtown Charleston, Illinois, one-half block east of the Courthouse square. It was built in 1935 and holds a theatre and six store buildings.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is significant as an exceptional example of Art Deco architecture. It is the only Art Deco building in Charleston and the only known Art Deco commercial block in Coles County and the six adjoining counties. It also keeps a largely intact interior and contrasts an ornamented exterior with a curvilinear interior.","narrative":"Built in 1935 at 705-715 Monroe Avenue, this one-story building in downtown Charleston combines a theatre with six store buildings. Its Monroe Avenue front is faced in yellow, red and black terra cotta, with low-relief geometric and floral ornament and storefronts of differing heights that create a toothed skyline. The theatre entrance sits at the west end beneath a neon marquee. Inside, circular motifs, a terrazzo lobby floor and an oval recessed ceiling give a streamlined look. The theatre opened in February 1938 and originally seated 1,043 people; a 1950s remodel reduced this to 783. It was built by a partnership of three theatre operators and constructed by Roy M. Kennedy of Taylorville. The nomination presents it as the only Art Deco building in Charleston and the only known Art Deco commercial block in Coles County and six neighboring counties. It also notes the colors reflect local school traditions. Most of the structure was vacant when the form was prepared.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Roy Kennedy, Taylorville, IL (Roy M. Kennedy of Taylorville constructed it)","architectural_style":"Art Deco","criteria":[],"status_note":"Most of the building is vacant at the time of writing; it was most recently occupied by the theatre, a barbershop, a shoe repair shop and a law office. Condition is marked good and altered.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.852743-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/86/8918/28891886/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/84001066.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84001066/9fb549689d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84001066/9fb549689d-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"jrmyers","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Will_Rogers_Theatre_and_Commercial_Block_2012-10-31_12-28-18.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:Will_Rogers_Theatre_and_Commercial_Block_2012-10-31_12-28-18.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891886","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Rogers_Theatre_and_Commercial_Block","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16903478"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/coles-county/will-rogers-theatre-and-commercial-block-84001066/"}