Building at 201 North Market Street
Why it's listed
Standing on the northwest corner of North Market and Taylor streets in downtown Champaign, this two-story brick commercial building dates from around 1870, after an 1868 fire destroyed earlier structures on the block. It is Italianate in style, with a rectangular plan, three tall round-arched second-story windows with limestone keystones, and a corbeled brick entablature. The original cast-iron storefront survives, including fluted pilasters and rope-turned columns around a recessed entry. In front lies a raised sidewalk of large Lemont-Joliet limestone slabs, described as unique in Champaign County. Over time the building housed saloons, a cigar factory on the upper floor, a tea and coffee company, and furniture businesses, with residential space above. Inside, a partial pressed-metal ceiling and Italianate doors and trim remain. The building is vacant, and neglect and roof leaks have damaged parts of the interior. It was recognized for its architecture, as one of few mid-nineteenth-century commercial buildings left in Champaign.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a good local example of Italianate commercial architecture under Criterion C. It retains tall round-arched windows, a corbeled brick entablature and an original cast-iron storefront, one of only three left in Champaign. Its raised Lemont-Joliet limestone sidewalk is described as unique in Champaign County.
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 97001335, listed November 7, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 201 N. Market St., Champaign |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | November 7, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97001335 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1870 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant; interior suffers from lack of maintenance and roof leaks, and no utilities are connected. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.11720, -88.24170 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 97001335.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20638860
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.