{"nrhp_refnum":"89001732","name":"Inman Hotel","other_names":["National Academy of Arts"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"17 E. University Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Champaign","county":"Champaign County","state":"IL","lat":40.116198215000054,"lon":-88.24233011599995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1989-10-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A six-story, 154-room hotel at 17 East University Avenue, at the southeast corner of University Avenue and Walnut Street in downtown Champaign, Illinois, built in 1915 and designed by Spencer & Temple.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the hotel is a good representative of the early commercial hotel movement in smaller Illinois communities and a local example of Classical Revival commercial architecture. It was the anchor of Champaign's downtown development after 1910 and a community focal point for lodging, conventions, and social and University events. It is also the only remaining commercial hotel in Champaign County that retains its original integrity.","narrative":"Built in 1915 at the corner of University Avenue and Walnut Street, this six-story hotel in downtown Champaign has glazed yellow brick walls, beige terra cotta trim, and a reinforced concrete frame. Its U-shaped plan lets light reach every one of its 154 rooms. The interior included a central lobby, dining areas, a drugstore, a billiard room, and basement Turkish baths. The sixth story was added shortly after World War I. Architects Spencer & Temple of Champaign designed the Classical Revival building for real estate and mortgage businessman George L. Inman. It is considered a good example of the modern commercial hotel that served growing small communities in the early twentieth century, and it anchored the southeast part of the downtown business district. It is also the only commercial hotel in Champaign County that keeps its original integrity, and its yellow brick is unusual for the area. Its significance runs from 1915 to 1939.","period_of_significance":"1915-1939","architect_builder":"Spencer & Temple/English Brothers","architectural_style":"Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals/Classical Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Retains most of its exterior and public interior integrity, with modifications to the street-level facade and some interior modernization; part of the first floor has been rehabilitated as a recital hall for the National Academy of Arts, and the building remains in hotel use.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.47188-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/34/8918/28891834/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/89001732.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/89001732/82e98bb12e-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/89001732/82e98bb12e-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Narasinha","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Exterior_inman_hotel_champaign_il_us.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Narasinha</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Exterior_inman_hotel_champaign_il_us.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891834","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inman_Hotel","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14687613"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/champaign-county/inman-hotel-89001732/"}