Magill House
Also known as: Hotel Magill; Taylor-Magill Hotel
Why it's listed
Magill House is a three-story, L-shaped brick hotel on the northwest quadrant of the courthouse square in Clinton, Illinois. The Magill brothers built it in 1872 at a reported cost of $35,000, with forty-five rooms and a full basement. Local leaders pushed for a first-class hotel to convince the Illinois Central Railroad to run its Gilman to Springfield line through Clinton rather than nearby Wapella, where a new hotel already existed. The building keeps Italianate features, including a flat roof with a shallow gable marked 1872, wooden brackets under a deep overhang, and decorative iron window hoods. A west wing was extended and given a third story between 1887 and 1892. Inside, tin ceilings, early twentieth-century tilework and a hand-carved staircase banister survive, alongside later remodeling. Over time it served as a hotel, diner and retail space. After years of neglect and changing owners, the City of Clinton bought it to prevent further decay, and it now sits empty.
Significance in brief: The hotel was built to persuade the Illinois Central Railroad to route its Gilman to Springfield link through Clinton rather than Wapella. It reflects Clinton's growth as a railroad-era business community and remains one of the few three-story buildings on the square, keeping much of its Italianate 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 03001202, listed November 28, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 100 N. Center St., Clinton |
|---|---|
| County | DeWitt County |
| Listed | November 28, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03001202 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Magill brothers (builders) |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant and not in use. It has fallen into disrepair, with roof leaks and deterioration, and is now owned by the City of Clinton, which has marketed it to investors. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.15300, -88.96061 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 03001202.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6731100
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.