Carlinville Chapter House
Why it's listed
This house at 111 S. Charles Street in Carlinville was built in 1910 as a Class I chapter house of the American Woman's League. The League was a nationwide movement that sought to advance, protect and uplift American womanhood through suffrage, literacy, domesticity, education and social interaction. Ten chapter houses were built in Illinois in 1909-10, using standardized forms in four classes that reflected the League's functions and the school styles of the period, especially Arts and Crafts, Mission and Bungaloid influences. The Carlinville house stands near the Macoupin County courthouse square. Over time it has gained a porch on the facade, an addition at the top of the chimney and a frame bathroom at the rear. The wood is painted white and the stucco peach, and the interior layout has changed. It remains in use as a private home and is in generally good repair. It was listed as part of a group of related League chapter houses.
Significance in brief: It is one of the chapter houses built in 1909-10 to house local chapters of the American Woman's League, a nationwide movement to advance and uplift American womanhood through suffrage, literacy, domesticity, education and social interaction. The houses were built in standardized classes reflecting the League's functions and period styles, including Arts and Crafts, Mission and Bungaloid influences. The movement apparently declined after 1920, when woman's suffrage became law.
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 80001385, listed November 28, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 111 S. Charles St., Carlinville |
|---|---|
| County | Macoupin County |
| Listed | November 28, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001385 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Class I American Woman's League Chapter House (standardized form with Arts and Crafts, Mission and Bungaloid influences) |
| Areas of significance | Education, Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a private home; in generally good repair, with a porch added to the facade, an addition at the top of the chimney, a frame bathroom added at the rear, and a changed interior layout. Landscaping needs attention. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 39.29782, -89.87566 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 80001385.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5041330
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.