Elgin Tower Building
National Register of Historic Places

Elgin Tower Building

Elgin, Kane County, Illinois
Listed
May 21, 2002
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
02000542

About this property

The Elgin Tower Building, originally the Home Banks Building, is a historic office building in downtown Elgin, Illinois. The tower is 186 feet tall and 15 stories. It was built in 1929 to house the Home National Bank and Home National Savings and Trust. Though initially successful, the Great Depression devastated the bank only months later. The tower was again prosperous following World War II, when demand for Elgin goods increased. However, this prosperity was only temporary, and the tower again fell on hard times in the 1960s, particularly after the 1965 closing of the Elgin National Watch Company. The tower was eventually purchased by William R. Stickling, who went to great lengths to restore it. It was donated to a charity named in his honor following his 1999 death, and the William R. Stickling Charitable Foundation continues to maintain the structure. Its restoration is considered a major part of a hopeful rehabilitation of downtown Elgin. The tower is one of only two Art Deco buildings in Elgin and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. An elevator in the building that had a wooden interior was destroyed by arson on May 4, 2014. The building was then purchased in 2016 by Capstone Development and renovated into apartments.

Location

100 E. Chicago St.
Elgin, Kane County, Illinois
42.03937, -88.28439

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
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

First Universalist Church
Industrial
0.3 mi
Elgin Academy
Industrial
0.4 mi
Elgin Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi
Gifford-Davidson House
Civil War
0.5 mi
Pelton, Ora, House
Industrial
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Elgin Tower Building listed on the National Register?

Elgin Tower Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 21, 2002.

What type of historic resource is Elgin Tower Building?

Elgin Tower Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Elgin Tower Building?

The period of significance for Elgin Tower Building is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1929.

Can I research the history near Elgin Tower Building?

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