Ahrens, Henry, House
Also known as: Divan--Wojnar House
Why it's listed
Built in 1893 on the east edge of downtown Champaign, this two-and-one-half-story Queen Anne house was designed by local architect and contractor Seely Brown for Henry Ahrens. Ahrens was a German-born former sailor and Civil War navy veteran who ran a saloon and wholesale liquor business in Champaign. The frame house has a limestone foundation, clapboard walls, slate and wood-shingle roofs, varied decorative shingling, a wrap-around porch and stained-glass windows. Inside, original Lincrusta-Walton wall and ceiling decoration, pine woodwork, and a carved fireplace mantel survive. A carriage barn, a wrought-iron fence, a stone hitching post and a carriage step also remain on the lot. The house is now the last single-family, owner-occupied dwelling along East University Avenue, a busy commercial street once lined with residences. The house, barn and fence are all in excellent condition and retain a high degree of integrity. The Ahrens and Divan families owned it for generations.
Significance in brief: The house is described as a quintessential Queen Anne residence with intact exterior detail and original Lincrusta-Walton interior decoration. It was built by saloon owner and German immigrant Henry Ahrens and is the last single-family, owner-occupied house on a street once lined with homes. The excerpt does not show the criteria or period of significance.
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 11000845, listed November 22, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 212 E. University Ave., Champaign |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | November 22, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000845 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Seely Brown (architect and contractor) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian-Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition with a high degree of integrity; still used as a single-family dwelling with a carriage house. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.87693, -88.23133 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 11000845.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20710277
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.