National Register of Historic Places

Starr Hotel

Mattoon, Coles County, Illinois
Listed
August 15, 1994
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
94000975

About this property

The Starr Hotel is a historic hotel building located at 1913-1923 Western Avenue in Mattoon, Illinois. Businessman George M. Custer built the hotel in 1888. The hotel primarily housed workers on Mattoon's three railroads: the Illinois Central, the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis (Big Four), and the Peoria, Decatur and Evansville. Mattoon's economy was primarily based on railroad traffic; the city expanded greatly after the Illinois Central and Big Four opened in the 1850s, its railroad yards employed hundreds of workers, and multiple industries grew in Mattoon due to its railroad access. While the hotel mainly housed railroad workers, it also catered to other working-class groups, such as seasonal broom corn workers and hobos. The hotel became a boarding house in the 1920s, and its upper floors closed entirely in the 1960s; its first floor is still a commercial property. The building is one of two surviving working-class hotels in Mattoon. The hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 16, 1994.

Location

1913--1923 Western Ave.
Mattoon, Coles County, Illinois
39.48298, -88.37894

Categories

COMMERCE
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

Railway Express Agency Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Illinois Central Railroad Depot
Industrial
0.2 mi
U. S. Post Office
Industrial
0.2 mi
Unity Church
Civil War
0.2 mi
Burgess-Osborne Memorial Auditorium
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Starr Hotel listed on the National Register?

Starr Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1994.

What type of historic resource is Starr Hotel?

Starr Hotel is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Starr Hotel?

The period of significance for Starr Hotel is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Starr Hotel?

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