West Walnut Street Historic District
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
This 18-acre neighborhood in Carbondale, Illinois, gathers 54 houses along West Walnut Street and nearby stretches of Main, Maple, Poplar and Springer Streets, with 48 dating from 1859 to 1929. Laid out in the 1850s from an oak grove, the area saw little building until the 1870s, and many original oaks remain. In the 19th century Walnut and Main were considered the city's most prestigious residential streets. The district holds the city's only surviving pioneer style house, built in 1859 for William Dixon, and its only mansard-roofed house, enlarged by Robert Allyn, first president of Southern Illinois Normal University. It also includes square Italianate houses, Queen Anne frame houses, the city's finest Colonial Revival house, built in 1900 for historian George Washington Smith, and substantial early 20th century brick homes. The nomination presents it as the only major residential area in Carbondale that keeps its turn-of-the-century character.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the only surviving 19th and early 20th century neighborhood in Carbondale with architectural integrity, environmental quality and sense of place. It holds the city's only surviving pioneer style house, its only mansard-roofed house and its best Colonial Revival house, along with square Italianate and Queen Anne houses. It was also home to Robert Allyn, first president of Southern Illinois Normal University, and historian George Washington Smith.
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 75000664, listed May 2, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by W. Elm, S. Poplar, W. Main, and S. Forest Sts., Carbondale |
|---|---|
| County | Jackson County |
| Listed | May 2, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75000664 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Pioneer style, bracketed Italianate, Mansard, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, and early 20th century brick residences |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated good and altered; mostly private residences, occupied, with some houses converted to business or professional use. |
| Acreage | 18 |
| Coordinates | 37.72541, -89.22320 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 75000664.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16903152
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.