{"nrhp_refnum":"84001126","name":"Aurora College Complex","other_names":["Eckart, Davis and Wilkinson Halls"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"347 S. Gladstone Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Aurora","county":"Kane County","state":"IL","lat":41.75485415700007,"lon":-88.34795269399996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-02-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A college complex of three red brick Tudor Revival buildings (Eckhart, Wilkinson and Davis Halls) at 347 S. Gladstone Avenue on the southwest side of Aurora, Kane County, Illinois, all built in 1911 as the original Aurora College campus.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the complex is significant for its role in the development of the Advent Christian denomination, which made Aurora College its national center for educating clergy and leaders. It also stresses the college's contribution to the social and cultural development of Aurora. The three buildings formed the entire campus for most of the college's history.","narrative":"Aurora College's original campus consists of three red brick buildings in the English Tudor Revival style, all begun in 1911 on Aurora's southwest side. Eckhart Hall, designed by Chicago architect Charles Woods Webster, is the administrative and teaching building, with a central tower, stone quoins, gabled dormers and a red pantile roof. Wilkinson and Davis Halls, originally men's and women's dormitories, sit behind it in a more subdued version of the same style. The college was founded by Advent Christians in Mendota in 1893 and moved to Aurora after local leaders raised $100,000 for new buildings. It became the denomination's national center for educating clergy and leaders, and a gathering place where families from across the country connected. After World War II it also served local students, and many Aurora teachers, nurses and business leaders studied there. The buildings remain in use for classes, offices and housing.","period_of_significance":"1900- (specific date 1911)","architect_builder":"Charles Woods Webster (architect); James Todd of Chicago (contractor for Eckhart Hall)","architectural_style":"English Tudor Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in educational use; Eckhart Hall remains the primary classroom, chapel and administration building, Davis Hall a women's dormitory, and Wilkinson Hall faculty offices. Interiors have been remodelled.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.682298-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/60/8931/28893160/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/84001126.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84001126/b7e6d97934-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84001126/b7e6d97934-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Teemu08","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aurora_College_Complex.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Teemu08</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:Aurora_College_Complex.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28893160","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_University","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11959672"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/kane-county/aurora-college-complex-84001126/"}