Memorial Hall
Why it's listed
Memorial Hall is a two-story brick building on Main Street in Richmond, Illinois, completed in 1907. It was funded by a $10,000 bequest from Charles DeWitt McConnell, whose will called for a village hall to be named Memorial Hall and used free of charge for church and school functions. Fred Arp is named as builder. The building has an orange-yellow brick facade with limestone trim, a gable roof, a basement meeting room and offices, and an upper auditorium with stage and balcony. For decades it housed village government, including the police station and jail from 1934, and served as a polling place. It also became a community gathering place. The high school used it for basketball from 1919 until a new school opened in 1949. The Y.M.C.A., Boy Scouts, Women's Club and American Legion met there, and it hosted graduations, dances, class plays, movies and a traveling theater troupe. Its significance period runs from 1907 to 1943.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is locally significant under Criterion A for its role in Richmond's village government, which met and kept offices there. It is also significant as a center for recreation and entertainment, hosting school basketball, youth groups, community events, plays and movies.
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 93000839, listed August 19, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 10308 Main St., Richmond |
|---|---|
| County | McHenry County |
| Listed | August 19, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000839 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1907-1943 |
| Architect / builder | Arp, Fred, builder |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as excellent, with excellent integrity; the building has an upper-level auditorium and a lower-level meeting room and offices. The stage front was rebuilt in 1992 for high school theater productions. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.47557, -88.30604 (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 93000839.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6815435
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.