LaSalle City Building
Also known as: LaSalle City Hall; Fire Station No. 1
Why it's listed
Completed in 1906, the LaSalle City Building at 745 Second Street combines the city hall and Fire Station No. 1 in one structure. The City Hall section is a symmetrical, two-and-one-half-story red brick building with Bedford stone trim, a steep hip roof, pilasters, arched openings and a council chamber on the third floor. The attached fire station has arched apparatus doors, a hose-drying tower and a few reminders of the horse-drawn era, such as harness hooks and a hayloft door. Architect Victor Andre Matteson, known for public buildings, designed it. The building was meant to replace a derelict structure on the same site and to bring city departments together, in keeping with Progressive-era ideas of centralized management. Mayor Walter A. Panneck drove the project, and about 420 bonds were sold to local residents to cover the $45,000 cost. Dedicated on January 1, 1907, it continues to serve as the center of city government.
Significance in brief: The building reflects the Progressive-era trend of consolidating city departments under one roof. It was a community undertaking, financed by bonds sold to local citizens and pushed forward by Mayor Walter A. Panneck, and it became a symbol of the city. It also remains the center of city services and public gathering.
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 85001909, listed August 29, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 745 2nd St., LaSalle |
|---|---|
| County | LaSalle County |
| Listed | August 29, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001909 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1906-07 |
| Architect / builder | Victor Andre Matteson (architect) |
| Architectural style | Eclectic, with French Revival and Colonial Revival elements and a Beaux Arts approach to scale |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as city hall and fire station; the first floor has been restored, the third-floor council chamber is being restored, and much of the second floor office space is unused. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Within district | LaSalle Downtown Commercial District |
| Coordinates | 41.32954, -89.09470 (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 85001909.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16893987
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.