Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Depot
Why it's listed
Built in 1913 at 101 West Main Street in downtown Plano, Illinois, this brick depot served the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. It is a long, narrow one-story building with a red tile roof, Bedford limestone trim, a concrete foundation and a projecting center section holding the entrance on one side and the ticket office on the other. Inside are mosaic tile floors, tile wainscoting, oak woodwork and separate waiting rooms for women and men. Eidelgeorge, Reuter and Company of Aurora built it to replace an 1855 wooden depot. Plano grew up around the railroad, and the depot handled farm machinery shipments, passengers, mail and telegrams. It also hosted community events, including a 1913 gathering welcoming the governor and crowds that gathered for the Burlington Zephyr in 1934. Its association with local transportation led to recognition for the period 1913 to 1943. Few alterations have occurred, and Amtrak still stops there.
Significance in brief: The depot is significant under Criterion A for transportation, through its link to the railroad industry in Plano, a town built around the Burlington line. It replaced an aging wooden depot and served as a hub for freight, passengers, mail, telegrams and community events. The period of significance runs from its 1913 construction to 1943.
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 93001238, listed November 12, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 101 W. Main St., Plano |
|---|---|
| County | Kendall County |
| Listed | November 12, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93001238 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1913-1943 |
| Architect / builder | Eidelgeorge, Reuter, and Co., Builder |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival; Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good, with few changes since construction; the building now serves social/civic meeting hall functions and Amtrak stops there. Funding for a renovation was being sought. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.66222, -88.53807 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 93001238.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7201400
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.