Taylorville Chautauqua Auditorium
Why it's listed
Manners Park in Taylorville holds a sixteen-sided wooden auditorium nicknamed the "steel umbrella." The Decatur Bridge Company built it, and the city and Chautauqua board bought it from Streator for $5,000 in 1916. It was taken apart and re-erected in the park in time for that August's assembly. Its roof hangs from steel trusses radiating from a central post, giving a clear span of 130 feet with only one interior pillar. Chautauqua programs of lectures and concerts ran here each year from 1914 through 1928, with speakers such as William Jennings Bryan and William Howard Taft and performers such as Sir Harry Lauder and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Later changes included a skating rink in the 1940s, a concrete floor in 1954 and a band shell in 1955. The roof and walls have since deteriorated. It is one of very few surviving Chautauqua auditoriums in Illinois, which is the basis for its listing.
Significance in brief: The auditorium housed Taylorville's Chautauqua assemblies from 1914 to 1928, part of a popular educational and cultural movement. Few communities built such halls, and it is one of only a few standing Chautauqua auditoriums in Illinois. Its umbrella-like steel truss roof clear-spans 130 feet from a central hub.
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 87002519, listed January 21, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Manners Park, Taylorville |
|---|---|
| County | Christian County |
| Listed | January 21, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87002519 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1916-1928 |
| Architect / builder | Decatur Bridge Co. |
| Areas of significance | Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and in use as a park building; the form reports deterioration of the roof and walls, boarded-up windows, a 1954 concrete floor and a 1955 band shell. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.53967, -89.29585 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 87002519.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18158660
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.