Lowler's Tavern
Also known as: Padamaden,D.,Offices
Why it's listed
Lowler's Tavern is a two-story, five-bay painted brick building on North Main Street in Mechanicsburg's central business district, set close to the street. Dr. Lawler built it around 1830, keeping his medical office and living quarters on the first floor and housing overnight lodgers upstairs. Greek Revival features include the central entrance with pilasters, sidelights and a transom, along with a simple cornice line. Original woodwork and a staircase survive in the entrance hallway. Later changes include storefronts, of uncertain date, and a late nineteenth-century projecting bay window with brackets and a decorated gable. The nomination holds that these alterations reflect changing use and design over roughly 150 years without compromising the building's integrity. Its importance rests on its age and continuity: it is the oldest commercial building in continuous use in the village and the only one left from the earliest commercial period, before the downtown was largely rebuilt between 1870 and 1900.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the oldest commercial building in continuous use in Mechanicsburg. It is the only commercial building remaining from the town's earliest commercial period, since the business center was almost entirely rebuilt between 1870 and 1900. It is also one of the few surviving Greek Revival and early commercial buildings in the village, and residents often name it as a local landmark.
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 85001885, listed August 29, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N. Main St., Mechanicsburg |
|---|---|
| County | Champaign County |
| Listed | August 29, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001885 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built by Dr. Lawler; architect not known |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as commercial/residential use; described as the oldest commercial building in continuous use in Mechanicsburg. Condition rated fair inside and out. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.07232, -83.55677 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 85001885.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6503619
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.