{"nrhp_refnum":"99001709","name":"Hotel Stratford","other_names":["Illini Hotel"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"229 Market St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Alton","county":"Madison County","state":"IL","lat":38.89077553100003,"lon":-90.18519634599994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2000-01-27","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A five-story Classical Revival brick hotel with a two-story dining wing at 229 Market Street, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, opened in 1909 as the Illini Hotel and designed by Barnett, Haynes & Barnett of St. Louis.","why_significant":"The nomination argues local significance in commerce under Criterion A. It is the sole surviving pre-1950 commercial hotel in Alton and reflects the role hotels played in the largest city in Madison County. It has operated continuously as a hotel since opening in 1909.","narrative":"Rising five stories at the southeast corner of Market and Third streets in downtown Alton, this brick hotel opened in 1909 as the Illini Hotel and was renamed the Hotel Stratford in 1925. St. Louis architects Barnett, Haynes & Barnett designed it in the Classical Revival style, with limestone and terra cotta trim, a concrete frame and locally made paving-type brick. A two-story wing holds the dining rooms and kitchen. Inside, the lobby keeps coffered plaster ceilings, Doric columns and a marble stair, and 1940s frescos decorate the lounge. It was promoted as fireproof and cost $141,000 to build. Alton grew around glass, flour, brick and other industries, and the hotel served visitors and conventions in that city. It is the only pre-1950 commercial hotel left in Alton and has operated continuously since opening. Its period of significance runs from 1909 to 1950, and it was recognized for its role in local commerce.","period_of_significance":"1909-1950","architect_builder":"Barnett, Haynes & Barnett, St. Louis, MO; C.L. Gray Construction Co., E. St. Louis, IL","architectural_style":"Classical Revival","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Described as operating continuously as a hotel since September 4, 1909, with structural and historical integrity largely preserved apart from minor window changes and a covered cornice.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.588286-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/72/8935/28893572/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/99001709.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99001709/993d672f4c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99001709/993d672f4c-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hotel_Stratford_in_Alton.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hotel_Stratford_in_Alton.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"78001166","name":"Middletown Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/illinois/middletown-historic-district-78001166/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28893572","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Stratford","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16892490"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/madison-county/hotel-stratford-99001709/"}