United States Post Office-Belvidere
Why it's listed
Standing at the corner of State and Meadow streets in downtown Belvidere, this one-story post office of yellow brick and granite was dedicated on October 11, 1911. James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury, designed it, and Rockford contractor E. Maffioli built it for $65,000. The Classical Revival building has a rounded corner entrance with a terra cotta pediment and cartouche, tall paired windows, brick pilasters, and a limestone balustrade above modillions. Inside, a domed rotunda with marble wainscoting and terrazzo floors leads to a lobby with original service windows, a large workroom, and a suspended lookout gallery for postal inspectors. The site was chosen after years of debate, with residents favoring a location between the river and the railroad, near the sewing machine factory. The building is recognized for its architecture and its well-preserved federal design. The post office moved out in 1997.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion C for architecture, as a Classical Revival federal building designed by James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury. It retains notable exterior and interior features such as a rounded corner entrance, a domed rotunda, marble wainscoting and original service windows. It also reflects the long effort to obtain a federal building for the town.
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 00000473, listed May 11, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 200 S. State St., Belvidere |
|---|---|
| County | Boone County |
| Listed | May 11, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000473 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1911 |
| Architect / builder | Taylor, James Knox, Supervising Architect U.S. Treasury; contractor E. Maffioli of Rockford |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The post office vacated the building in 1997; current function is listed as work in progress. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Belvidere South State Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.25794, -88.84104 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 00000473.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q2466343
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.