National Register of Historic Places

Burnham Athenaeum

Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois
Listed
June 6, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78001115

About this property

The Burnham Athenaeum, also known as the Champaign Public Library, is a historic library building located at 306 W. Church St. in Champaign, Illinois. Built in 1896 through a donation from Albert C. Burnham, the building was Champaign's first permanent library. Architect Julius A. Schweinfurth designed the Classical Revival building. The two-story building is built from cream-colored brick with terra cotta ornamentation. The front entrance features four two-story Ionic columns supporting a pediment and an inscribed frieze. A terra cotta band encircles the building below the second-story window sill line. The Champaign Public Library occupied the building until 1978, when it moved to a larger facility. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 7, 1978.

Location

306 W. Church St.
Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois
40.11858, -88.24736

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

U.S. Post Office
Civil War
0.1 mi
Virginia Theater
Industrial
0.2 mi
Bailey--Rug Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
New Orpheum Theatre
Industrial
0.3 mi
Inman Hotel
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Burnham Athenaeum listed on the National Register?

Burnham Athenaeum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 6, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Burnham Athenaeum?

Burnham Athenaeum is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Burnham Athenaeum?

The period of significance for Burnham Athenaeum is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Burnham Athenaeum?

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