White Place Historic District
Why it's listed
White Place Historic District is a residential neighborhood of seven whole blocks and one half block in northeast Bloomington, Illinois. It holds 146 houses and 127 garages, plus a steam heating plant, a limestone entryway at the south end of White Place, a fountain now used as a planter, and Fell Avenue Park. The park was purchased by the city in 1923 and was Bloomington's first municipal playground. Houses sit on uniform lots about 50 feet wide, set back 15 feet from the sidewalk, and most are two-story balloon-frame buildings. Prairie, Craftsman and Colonial Revival influences are common. Most were apparently built from mail-order or stock plans, though architect A.L. Pillsbury designed or modified several. One house, at 1410 Clinton Boulevard, was traced to a 1920 plan book. White Place keeps its brick paving, and all three main streets retain limestone curbing. Only 11 buildings have been added since World War II, so the area retains the look of a neighborhood from more than 80 years ago.
Significance in brief: The district keeps the character of a planned early twentieth-century neighborhood with very little alteration or infill. Most of its houses were built from mail-order or stock plans, with some by local architects, and they show a wide range of period styles. The nomination also cites community planning, including the heating plant, the White Place entryway and Bloomington's first municipal playground.
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 88001230, listed August 12, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | White Pl., Clinton Blvd., and E side of Fell Ave. between Empire and Emerson Sts., Bloomington |
|---|---|
| County | McLean County |
| Listed | August 12, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001230 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | A.L. Pillsbury (architect, for 2 White Place, 3 White Place and 1310 Fell Avenue); most other houses built from mail-order or stock plans |
| Architectural style | Prairie influence, Craftsman influence and Colonial Revival influence (vernacular houses with some high-style details) |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, with an extremely low level of alteration and infilling; 212 of 276 structures are contributing. The district is occupied, with private residences and some industrial use. |
| Acreage | 38.8 |
| Coordinates | 40.49070, -88.98505 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 88001230.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20710629
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.