Berwyn Municipal Building
Also known as: Berwyn City Hall
Why it's listed
Completed in 1939 with Public Works Administration support, this Moderne-style building at 6700 26th Street in Berwyn, Illinois, was the first structure the city owned for municipal offices. Before then, city government had been scattered among rented quarters since Berwyn's incorporation in 1908. The original building held city offices, a library, and police and fire facilities, with garages and a hose tower at the south end. Its seven-bay north facade is faced in tan Mankato limestone from Minnesota and tan glazed brick, with prism-shaped pilasters, black grooved terracotta spandrels, and carved emblems reflecting the city's motto, "city of homes." The police department left in the 1960s, and the library branch left the basement in the early 1980s. A 1991 addition filled the narrow middle section to provide an elevator and stairs, and it is set back and lower than the original. Replacement windows closely match the originals. The building is regarded as one of Berwyn's best Moderne examples.
Significance in brief: The building is described as one of the best examples of Moderne architecture in Berwyn, notable for its prism-shaped Mankato limestone pilasters and clean lines. It was the first building the city owned for its offices, which had previously been in rented quarters. It has changed little since 1939, apart from a 1991 addition and replacement windows.
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 01000865, listed August 8, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 6700 26th St., Berwyn |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | August 8, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000865 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Moderne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used for city offices (commonly called City Hall) and as a fire station; a 1991 addition added an elevator and stairs for accessibility. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.84308, -87.79128 (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 01000865.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4896039
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.