{"nrhp_refnum":"94000975","name":"Starr Hotel","other_names":["Custer Hotel","Shafer Hotel"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1913--1923 Western Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Mattoon","county":"Coles County","state":"IL","lat":39.482977239000036,"lon":-88.37893945199994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1994-08-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story brick hotel at 1913-1923 Western Avenue in Mattoon, Coles County, Illinois, built in 1888 by George M. Custer, with a two-story addition made in 1900.","why_significant":"The hotel is argued to be locally significant under Criterion A for commerce, from 1888 to 1944. It housed railroad crews on layovers in a town created by the railroads at the crossing of three major lines. It is one of only two historic hotels still standing in Mattoon.","narrative":"Built in 1888 by George M. Custer, this three-story brick hotel at 1913-1923 Western Avenue in Mattoon stood only steps from the railroad tracks. Its 37 small rooms were meant for Illinois Central and Big Four crews waiting between runs. A two-story wing added in 1900 held a restaurant and more hotel rooms. Mattoon grew up where railroads crossed, and the hotel also served seasonal broomcorn workers, factory job seekers and hoboes. Western Avenue was a rough, working-class commercial street. Cast iron storefronts made by the Mesker Company, tin-pan ceilings, original woodwork and Italianate door frames survive. Later changes include a 1940s fire escape, a 1960s elevator shaft and altered storefronts on the addition. The upper floors have been closed since the 1960s, while shops occupy the street level. The hotel is listed for its role in local commerce from 1888 to 1944, and it is one of only two historic hotels left in the city.","period_of_significance":"1888-1944","architect_builder":"George M. Custer (builder); architect unknown","architectural_style":"Late Victorian","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Upper hotel floors were closed in the 1960s and have been vacant since; the ground floor holds several small businesses.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.025287-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/4/8919/28891904/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/94000975.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/94000975/1fb08175b3-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/94000975/1fb08175b3-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_Hotel_in_Mattoon.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_Hotel_in_Mattoon.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891904","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starr_Hotel","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16900671"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/coles-county/starr-hotel-94000975/"}