Collinsville City Hall and Fire Station
Why it's listed
Collinsville's City Hall and Fire Station occupy the northwest corner of Church and Center Streets, on the site where they were first built. City Hall dates from 1885 and is a two-and-a-half-story Italianate building of red brick with limestone banding, wide bracketed eaves, and cast iron window hoods. The neighboring fire station is a two-story Romanesque Revival brick building with a three-story bell tower, extended by a matching addition in 1956. A 1926 statue honoring Civil War veterans stands on the lot and counts as a contributing object. The two buildings were joined by a covered passageway in 1972, and an elevator was added in 1994, though the original exterior walls remain intact inside it. The basement of City Hall still holds two original jail cells. The property was listed for its long role in city government: it has served as the center of political functions and fire protection since 1885, with the arrangement reflecting the trend toward centralizing city departments.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the buildings are significant under Criterion A for their association with local government in Collinsville from 1885. They have housed city administration, fire protection and the city jail on their original site. They reflect the early twentieth-century idea of grouping city departments in one civic center.
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 04000865, listed August 20, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 125 S. Center St., Collinsville |
|---|---|
| County | Madison County |
| Listed | August 20, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000865 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1885-1954 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as city hall and fire station; the two buildings were connected by a covered passageway in 1972 and renovated in 1994 and 1999. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.67120, -89.98635 (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 04000865.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16827436
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.