Lincoln Building
Why it's listed
Rising five stories at the southwest corner of East Main and Market streets in downtown Champaign, the Lincoln Building was completed in 1916 as an office and retail block. Architect H.R. Temple designed it for Joseph and Isaac Kuhn, and the English Brothers, known for many University of Illinois campus buildings, built it. Its steel frame is clad in mottled brown brick with brown terra cotta trim and a copper-faced cornice, arranged in a base, shaft and capital pattern with restrained Classical Revival detail. Inside, marble walls, terrazzo floors, wood-framed office doors with operable transoms, original brass hardware and walk-in safes survive, along with a mail chute and open staircase. Some storefront and upper-floor changes have occurred over time. The building is notable as one of the tallest historic commercial buildings in Champaign-Urbana, as an early independent design by Temple, and as an example of the early twentieth century building phase in downtown Champaign.
Significance in brief: The nomination points to the building's design as a Commercial Style structure with minimal Classical Revival detailing and its height as one of the tallest historic commercial buildings in Champaign-Urbana. It is also tied to architect Harry Roberts Temple, for whom it was among his first independent designs, and to the English Brothers, builders of many University of Illinois buildings. The interior retains much of its original character.
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 96000854, listed August 1, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 44 E. Main St., Champaign |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | August 1, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000854 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | H.R. (Harry Roberts) Temple, architect; English Brothers, contractors |
| Architectural style | Commercial Style; Classical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current functions are both commerce/trade (business, professional); the building retains original public spaces on the first floor, though storefronts and some interior spaces have been altered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.11747, -88.24159 (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 96000854.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6550506
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.