15 Illinois historic sites added to National Register

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Fifteen historic Illinois sites have been added to the National Register of Historic Places, including a Chicago movie palace built in 1929, a tuberculosis sanatorium, and a rural garden cemetery founded in the 1830s.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which recommends sites through its State Historic Preservation Office, said the sites across the state were added to the register last year.

The listings recognize properties that merit special attention and preservation, and makes them eligible for some financial incentives. To be on the list, properties generally must be more than 50 years old.

“Each of these places tells a unique story that is part of Illinois’ rich history. They provide a physical link to the past,” said Natural Resources Director Colleen Callahan. “We are proud to work with local preservationists to obtain national recognition for these historically significant locations.”

Every Illinois county has at least one property or historic district listed on the National Register.

Among those added in 2021 were the Pope Brace Co. Building in Kankakee. Originally built in 1922 for the Paramount Knitting Co., it later was integral for developing and producing devices used by polio victims. The Oakland Cemetery Historic District in Princeton was founded in 1836, initially as a family plot for a local minister. It's notable for its landscape design — dating back to the 1860s — and funeral art.

Also listed were the Ramova Theater in Chicago and the Fairview Sanitorium in Normal.

The full list of new sites in Illinois is below:

Cook and Collar Counties

• Charles Warrington Earle School, West Englewood, Chicago
• Pyle-National Company Plant, Humboldt Park, Chicago
• Ramova Theater, Bridgeport, Chicago
• James B. Irving House, Evanston, Cook County
• Ravisloe Country Club, Homewood, Cook County
• Mildred and Abel Fagen House, Lake Forest, Lake County
• Hobbs Building, Aurora, Kane County

Rest of the State

• Col. George H. Paddock Home, Princeton, Bureau County
• Oakland Cemetery Historic District, Bureau County, Princeton, Bureau County
• Witwer House, Rockford, Winnebago County
• Shabbona Hotel, Shabbona, DeKalb County
• Jerseyville First Presbyterian Church, Jerseyville, Jersey County
• Pope Brace Co. Building, Kankakee, Kankakee County
• Fairview Sanatorium, Normal, McLean County
• Verdurette, New Boston, Mercer County

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