White Hall Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Why it's listed
Post office service in White Hall, Illinois, is housed in a one-story Classical Revival building at 120 South Jacksonville Street. Built in 1937-1938 of yellow-buff brick by the Weitz Construction Company of Des Moines, Iowa, it was formally occupied on January 31, 1938. It has a side-gabled form with a rear ell, limestone foundation and steps, original wrought iron balustrades and lanterns, and a carved eagle above the entrance. Inside, a sculpture titled "Potter and His Burro" by Felix Schlag honors the town's pottery industry; it was commissioned by the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture and installed in 1939. The building was constructed under the Public Works Administration, like many Illinois post offices of the Depression era. Because of the fifty-year rule, it was left out of the original White Hall Historic District. Its addition extends the district's period of significance to 1939 and recognizes its role in the town's business district. The building is still a post office and retains a high degree of integrity.
Significance in brief: The post office is added to the White Hall Historic District under Criterion A for Government, as the local postal branch and part of the town's business district. It is a typical Depression-era public works post office built under the Public Works Administration. It also holds the sculpture "Potter and His Burro," which extends the district's period of significance to 1939.
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 92001837, listed February 11, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 120 S. Jacksonville St., White Hall |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | February 11, 1993 |
| Reference number | 92001837 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1867-1939 (district period expanded from 1867-1927) |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by Weitz Construction Company of Des Moines, Iowa |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a post office, its original use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.43636, -90.40187 (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 92001837.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18159246
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.