National Register of Historic Places

Hickox, Virgil, House

Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois
Listed
March 5, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82002600

About this property

The Virgil Hickox House is a historic house located at 518 East Capitol Avenue in Springfield, Illinois. The house, the only one remaining in downtown Springfield, was built in 1839 for Virgil Hickox and his family. Hickox was a prominent Springfield businessman who helped bring the city its first rail line, an extension of the Chicago and Alton Railroad. In addition, Hickox was a successful attorney and political figure; he chaired the Democratic State Committee for twenty years and was an associate of both Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. The Hickox family remodeled their house several times; when they moved out in 1880, it had largely taken its present form, with an Italianate design featuring bracketed eaves and long arched windows. The Sangamo Club, a private men's club, opened in the building in 1895 and remained there for over fifteen years. The building became a speakeasy during Prohibition and continued to serve alcohol afterwards as The Norb Andy's Tabarin. The tavern became and remains popular with state legislators; in the 1980s, it was reported to be one of the few remaining bars regularly frequented by politicians. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1982.

Location

518 E. Capitol Ave.
Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois
39.79810, -89.64883

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
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

Central Springfield Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Early Republic
0.1 mi
Christ Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Graham, Cong. James M., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Fisher Building-Latham Block
Industrial
0.1 mi
Executive Mansion
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Hickox, Virgil, House listed on the National Register?

Hickox, Virgil, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Hickox, Virgil, House?

Hickox, Virgil, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Hickox, Virgil, House?

The period of significance for Hickox, Virgil, House is recorded as the industrial era.

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