Marine Chapter House
Why it's listed
Built in 1910 on Silver Street across from the City Park in Marine, Illinois, this Class I chapter house was one of ten constructed in 1909-10 for the American Woman's League. The league was a nationwide movement that sought to advance, protect and uplift American womanhood through suffrage, education, domesticity and social interaction. The houses were built in four standardized forms, Classes I through IV, which reflected the league's functions and drew on Arts and Crafts, Mission and Bungaloid styles. Interest in the chapters declined after 1920, when women's suffrage became law. The Marine house has seen modest changes, including aluminum storm windows and door, central air-conditioning, repainting in red wood, yellow stucco and white trim, and an interior bathroom added during a recent renovation. No exterior additions were made, and the building is in very good repair. It now serves as the Gravius Memorial Library, and it was listed as part of a thematic group of chapter houses.
Significance in brief: It belongs to a thematic group of ten chapter houses built for a nationwide movement to advance and uplift American womanhood through suffrage, education, domesticity and social interaction. The houses follow standardized forms (Classes I-IV) that reflect the league's functions and period styles, with Arts and Crafts, Mission and Bungaloid influences. Marine's house was accepted for listing as a Class I example.
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 80001397, listed November 28, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Silver St., Marine |
|---|---|
| County | Madison County |
| Listed | November 28, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001397 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Class I American Woman's League chapter house design, with Arts and Crafts, Mission and Bungaloid influence |
| Areas of significance | Education, Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in very good repair and recently renovated, with a bathroom added inside; it houses the Gravius Memorial Library. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 38.77990, -89.77600 (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 80001397.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6764056
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.