Ursa Town Hall
Why it's listed
Built in 1895 for Marcelline Lodge No. 127 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, this two-story wood-frame hall at 109 South Warsaw Street in Ursa, Illinois, later became known as the Ursa Town Hall. It measures 70 by 32 feet and follows a Colonial Revival design, with white weatherboard siding, Doric pilasters, a metal hipped roof and a limestone foundation. A dormer displays the three links of the Odd Fellows emblem. Inside, a main hall and small side rooms occupy each floor, with pine wainscoting and an upstairs hall featuring a baldachino with Eastlake detailing. The hall mattered because Ursa had few other public gathering places. After a 1901 fire destroyed a smaller meeting hall, it became the center of local life. Township business, elections, lodge meetings, school programs, church dinners, medicine shows and 1930s movies all took place there. It remains the voting place for Ursa Township.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building was the social, political and recreational center of Ursa from 1895 to 1951. It served as an I.O.O.F. lodge hall, township meeting place and official polling place. It also hosted school plays, church suppers, shows and community events.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 02000095, listed March 1, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 109 S. Warsaw St., Ursa |
|---|---|
| County | Adams County |
| Listed | March 1, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000095 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1895 - 1951 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as the polling place and for monthly Ursa Township meetings; use has been reduced because the hall has no indoor toilets as of 2001. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.07550, -91.36651 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 02000095.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q21197525
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.