Camptown Town Hall
Why it's listed
Campton Town Hall is a modest white clapboard meeting house of about 20 by 30 feet, standing on a half-acre lot west of Wasco in Kane County, Illinois. Builder Archie Moody completed it in 1874 after township citizens voted to erect a hall of their own. At the time most townships simply used schoolhouses for town meetings, so the building was considered unusual and was among the first town halls in the county. It rests on a river stone foundation and holds a single large room with original pine flooring, wainscotting, 16 painted benches and two tables. It has served as a polling place and a gathering spot for civic groups. A 1935 rededication added a plaque on a boulder. In 1975 it faced abandonment for lack of heat and sanitary facilities, and a local group raised money for a furnace, a rear shed addition, new wiring and restoration work.
Significance in brief: It is the only governmental landmark in Campton Township and has served continuously as a polling place and civic meeting place. It was among the first town halls in Kane County, which was unusual at a time when most townships met in schools. A preservation effort in the 1970s saved it from abandonment.
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 80001378, listed November 24, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Wasco at Town Hall Rd. and IL 64, Wasco |
|---|---|
| County | Kane County |
| Listed | November 24, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001378 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1874 |
| Architect / builder | Archie Moody, Builder |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in the 1970s except for interior decorating; described as in continuous service as a polling and meeting place, with the form also marking it unoccupied. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.93238, -88.42937 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 80001378.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5028583
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.