Downtown Momence Historic District
Why it's listed
Downtown Momence is a compact commercial district in Kankakee County, Illinois, centered on Washington Street and Dixie Highway, the road that cuts through the middle of town. Most of its buildings are two-story brick storefronts built close to the sidewalk and sharing common walls, with a few three-story hotels and two early houses. The oldest known buildings date to 1849 and 1853. The district's growth followed the 1846 platting of the town and, above all, the railroads that arrived from 1871 onward, which made Momence a regional freight hub and brought building materials and tourists. Styles include Italianate, Queen Anne, Classical Revival and plain commercial forms, with details such as pressed metal cornices, cast iron storefronts and limestone trim. Many buildings use glazed brick made by the local Tiffany brick works. The district was recognized for preserving this concentrated commercial architecture from roughly 1849 to 1956.
Significance in brief: The district preserves the downtown business core that grew up with Momence's early settlement and the arrival of the railroads in the 1870s. Its buildings show a range of Victorian and early 20th-century commercial styles. Many use locally made Tiffany glazed brick, and they reflect the town's role as a regional freight and commercial hub.
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 06000449, listed May 31, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly Washington St., from N. Locust to Pine and Dixie Hwy., from 2nd to River, Momence |
|---|---|
| County | Kankakee County |
| Listed | May 31, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000449 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | circa 1849 to 1956 |
| Architect / builder | Wm. J. Dixon, Wm. Parish Jr., William Graham and Harry Halpin are named as builders of individual buildings; no single architect is named. |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century, Late Victorian, Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements (including Commercial, Italianate, Classical Revival, Queen Anne, Richardsonian Romanesque, Colonial Revival) |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Mostly in continued commercial use, with a few vacant lots where buildings were demolished or burned; some storefronts have been altered or covered with modern materials. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Coordinates | 41.15166, -87.66290 (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 06000449.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q28126084
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.