Smith, Tina Weedon, Memorial Hall
Also known as: Smith Hall
Why it's listed
Tina Weedon Smith Memorial Hall is a music building on the main quadrangle of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with its front facing Mathews Avenue in Urbana. Built between 1916 and 1920 to plans by university architect James M. White, it rises two stories plus an attic and is faced in local red brick and limestone. A temple-like east facade with a two-story Ionic portico, inscriptions naming Bach, Beethoven, Haydn and Palestrina, and lyre and musical motifs mark the exterior. Inside are a 1,100-seat Recital Hall, curved corner staircases, and the Italian Renaissance-style Smith Memorial Room with an ornate coffered ceiling. A low wing added in 1953 holds a lecture room. The building is considered significant for its Beaux Arts Classical design, which contrasts with the Georgian Revival buildings around it. It also served for years as the only home of the School of Music, and its original character remains largely intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the hall is significant under Criterion C as an example of Beaux Arts Classical architecture on a campus of mostly Georgian Revival buildings. It also notes that the hall housed the expanding School of Music and was the School's only building during its formative period. Its design integrity has been maintained.
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 96000097, listed February 29, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 805 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | February 29, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000097 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1920 |
| Architect / builder | White, James M., Supervising Architect |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts (Beaux Arts Classical) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used for college education; the form says it is remarkably unchanged apart from a 1953 rear wing and a modern elevator. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.10556, -88.22589 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 96000097.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7545218
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.