{"nrhp_refnum":"86003176","name":"East Grove Street District-Bloomington","other_names":["See Also:Benjamin, Ruben M., House","Cox, George H., House"],"category":"district","location":{"address":"400--700 E. Grove St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Bloomington","county":"McLean County","state":"IL","lat":40.47795652500005,"lon":-88.98807222055342,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1987-02-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A residential historic district of mid-19th to early 20th century houses along East Grove Street (400-700 blocks) near the center of Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois, covering about eight half blocks.","why_significant":"The houses span a wide range of construction dates and exhibit varied massing, detailing, and setbacks, which together create a distinct streetscape. The district retains its visual associations with its 19th century origins. The provided text covers the description only; the formal significance statement is not included.","narrative":"East Grove Street in Bloomington, Illinois, is lined with a district of houses built from the mid-19th century into the early 20th century. It covers about eight half blocks near the city center, on flat ground along the Bloomington Moraine, and was once the main route between the railroad station and the commercial core. Lots in the 400 block are among the largest 19th century residential lots left in the city, and house forms reflect the rectangular urban lots. Setbacks changed by era: just over 10 feet before 1860, about 30 feet after the Civil War, and 15 to 20 feet from 1885 to 1900, giving the street visual variety. Most buildings are two-story frame houses with clapboard siding, raised brick foundations, and gable or hip roofs. Styles include Italianate, Queen Anne, Craftsman, and Colonial Revival. Of 43 structures, 25 contribute to the district's character. Many carry synthetic siding that mostly covers historic fabric and could be removed. Stone curbing, hitching posts, and a courthouse capital survive.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Rudy Garling (porch addition at T.W. Wood Flats, c. 1915)","architectural_style":"Mixed styles including Italianate, Queen Anne, Craftsman, Arts and Crafts, bungalow and Colonial Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Of 43 structures, 25 are described as contributing and 19 as non-contributing; the district is occupied and mostly private residences, with some synthetic siding that is described as reversible.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.81273-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/55/8936/28893655/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/86003176.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003176/099cee9518-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003176/099cee9518-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"William Wesen Appraiser","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EastGrove.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">William Wesen Appraiser</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:EastGrove.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28893655","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Grove_Street_District","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5328509"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/mclean-county/east-grove-street-district-bloomington-86003176/"}