Hoopes-Cunningham Mansion
Why it's listed
Hoopeston's largest historic residence is a 17-room, three-story brick house at 424 East Penn Street. Thomas Hoopes, founder of the city, built it in 1879-80 as a two-story Italianate home. After his death in 1893, his niece and adopted daughter and her husband, James A. Cunningham, remodeled it in 1894 into its present Queen Anne form. Fire damage that year led to a rebuilding, and charred original walls can still be seen in the attic. Features include a rounded corner tower with a bell-shaped turret, a slate roof, carved golden oak woodwork, lead and stained glass windows, and original gas-electric fixtures. A pump house and carriage house remain on the lot. Cunningham was a banker, landowner, canning company organizer and mayor from 1903 to 1905. The nomination presents the house as the last grand home of its era in the town and surrounding area, with no comparable local residence in size or architectural richness.
Significance in brief: The form argues it is the largest and only remaining grand turn-of-the-century home in Hoopeston and the only structure directly tied to founder Thomas Hoopes and his descendants. It is also tied to James A. Cunningham, a banker, landowner, canning company organizer and mayor. The reviewer accepted it mainly for architecture, commerce and politics/government, and found the Cunningham association only minimally justified.
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 85002307, listed September 11, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 424 E. Penn St., Hoopeston |
|---|---|
| County | Vermilion County |
| Listed | September 11, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002307 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 and 1900- (specific dates 1879-80, 1894) |
| Architect / builder | L.M. Moore / John McCoy (1894); originally built by Thomas Hoopes |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne (remodeled from original Italianate) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence; condition marked good and altered. The carriage house is described as in poor condition. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Coordinates | 40.46646, -87.66552 (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 85002307.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15225016
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.