Military Drill Hall and Men's Gymnasium
Also known as: Kenney Gym Annex and H.E. Kenney Gynmasium
Why it's listed
Two connected brick buildings on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana began as separate structures. The Military Drill Hall, built in 1890 to a design by Nathan Clifford Ricker, is a one-story building with a mansard roof and a wood and steel truss system that spans the interior with no support columns. Such a large open space was advanced for its time and served military training. In 1902 Nelson Strong Spencer, a former student of Ricker, designed the two-story Men's Gymnasium next door. It borrowed the Drill Hall's rusticated base and arched windows, and it also used a trussed roof and a column-free activity floor. A passageway joined the two after 1914, when the Drill Hall became a gymnasium annex. They are valued for Ricker's engineering and for his influence on architecture teaching at the university. Both are still in use for physical education.
Significance in brief: The Drill Hall is presented as perhaps Ricker's finest engineering work, with a wood and steel truss system that leaves the interior free of columns, which was progressive for the 1890s. The adjacent Men's Gymnasium, designed by Ricker's former student Spencer, echoes Ricker's exterior style and engineering approach. Together they show Ricker's influence on structural design and architectural education at the university.
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 86003144, listed November 19, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1402--1406 W. Springfield, Urbana |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | November 19, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003144 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Military Drill Hall, Nathan Clifford Ricker; Men's Gymnasium, Nelson Strong Spencer |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both buildings operate as a single structure today, used for physical education; the Drill Hall interior and the exterior of both buildings are described as largely unaltered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.11293, -88.22778 (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 86003144.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6390890
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.