Building at 203-205 North Market Street
Also known as: Graphic Press
Why it's listed
Built around 1870 on the west side of North Market Street in downtown Champaign, this two-story brick commercial building follows the Italianate style. Its first floor keeps an original cast-iron storefront with rope columns, fluted pilasters and recessed entries, and the second floor has five tall round-arched windows under a corbeled brick cornice. In front lies a raised limestone sidewalk that is the only one of its type known in Champaign County. The building went up after an 1868 fire destroyed earlier structures on the block. Over the years it housed saloons, a restaurant, a billiards hall, furniture dealers and lodge halls on the upper floor. It shares a party wall with its companion at 201 North Market, and the two are among only three Champaign buildings that retain cast-iron storefronts. Its listing rests on its architecture as a good local example of Italianate commercial design, with a period of significance of circa 1870.
Significance in brief: The building is argued to be a good local example of an Italianate commercial building, with its two-story height, rectangular plan, cast-iron storefront, tall round-arched windows and corbeled entablature. It and its companion at 201 North Market are two of only three buildings in Champaign that keep cast-iron storefronts. Its 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 97001336, listed November 7, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 203-205 N. Market St., Champaign |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | November 7, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97001336 |
| 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) | Current function is listed as commerce/trade, with a Graphic Press sign on the storefront; the interior has modern partitions and the rear and north walls were rebuilt around 1915. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.11775, -88.20651 (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.
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 97001336.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20638862
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.