NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional certification comments, entries, and narrative items on continuation sheets if needed (NPS Form 10-900a). 1. Name of Property historic name Jacksonville Downtown Historic District other names/site number Name of Multiple Property Listing N/A (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing) 2. Location street & number Roughly bounded by Court, West, Morgan, Sandy, Main, Mauvaisterre & State Streets not for publication city or town Jacksonville vicinity state Illinois county Morgan zip code 62650 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this nomination request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: national statewide local Applicable National Register Criteria: A B C D Signature of certifying official/Title: Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Date Illinois Historic Preservation Agency State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. Signature of commenting official Date Title State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government 4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register determined eligible for the National Register determined not eligible for the National Register removed from the National Register other (explain:) Signature of the Keeper Date of Action 1 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Jacksonville Downtown Historic District Morgan, Illinois Name of Property County and State 5. Classification Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property (Check as many boxes as apply.) (Check only one box.) (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) Contributing Noncontributing x private building(s) 91 13 buildings x public - Local x district 1 site public - State site structure public - Federal structure 2 object x object 93 14 Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register 3 6. Function or Use Historic Functions Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) Commerce/Trade – Business Commerce/Trade – Business Commerce/Trade – Financial Institution Commerce/Trade – Professional Commerce/Trade – Specialty Store Commerce/Trade – Financial Institution Commerce/Trade – Department Store Commerce/Trade – Specialty Store Commerce/Trade – Restaurant Commerce/Trade – Restaurant Commerce/Trade – Hotel Social – Meeting Hall Social – Meeting Hall Government – Courthouse Government – Post Office Education – College Government - Courthouse Education – School Recreation and Culture – Theater Recreation and Culture – Theater Recreation and Culture – Monument/Marker Recreation and Culture – Monument/Marker Landscape - Park Landscape - Park 2 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Jacksonville Downtown Historic District Morgan, Illinois Name of Property County and State 7. Description Architectural Classification Materials (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) Mid – 19th Century foundation: Limestone, Brick, Concrete Late Victorian walls: Brick, Limestone, Stucco, Galvanized Late 19th and early 20th Century Revivals Sheet Metal, Cast Iron, Aluminum, Late 19th and early 20th Century American Wood, Vinyl, Concrete Block, Cast Movements – Commercial Style Stone, Fiberboard, Porcelain Modern Movement enameled steel, Granite, Concrete, Other – Vernacular Commercial Structural Glass, Glass Block roof: Rubber membrane, Asphalt shingles, Metal, Slate other: Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current physical appearance and condition of the property. Describe contributing and noncontributing resources if applicable. Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, type, style, method of construction, setting, size, and significant features. Indicate whether the property has historic integrity). Summary Paragraph The Jacksonville Downtown Historic District (JDHD) is the original town center for commerce, transportation, government, and recreation in Jacksonville. Jacksonville is located in the West Central region of the state and serves as the county seat for Morgan County, Illinois. The District is located in the approximate center of the city on land platted historically between 1825 and 1868. The District includes the city’s earliest extant commercial building dating from 1860, as well as a substantial number of mostly masonry commercial buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The JDHD encompasses 33 acres with 91 contributing buildings, two contributing objects, 3 listed properties, 1 non-contributing site, and 13 non-contributing buildings. The existing historic resources were constructed between 1860 and 1968. The District is composed of one and two-part commercial blocks, social halls, auto garages and dealerships, recreational and governmental buildings and a large, landscaped central park plaza. The period of significance is from 1860, the construction date of the oldest building in the District, to 1968, the fifty-year cutoff for the National Register of Historic Places. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Narrative Description The Jacksonville Downtown Historic District is located within the City of Jacksonville, the county seat of Morgan County, Illinois, approximately 30 miles west of Springfield, 87 miles north of St. Louis, 230 miles southwest of Chicago, and approximately 20 miles east of the Illinois River. Jacksonville is a multi-faceted, Midwestern community providing agricultural businesses and services to the surrounding rural and agricultural communities, two of Illinois’ oldest collegiate institutions (Illinois College and MacMurray College), the Illinois School for the Deaf and the Illinois School for the Blind, the Jacksonville Correctional Facility and large number of commercial and industrial enterprises respective of its size. The current population of Jacksonville is 19,446 (2010 U.S. Census). Jacksonville is situated on the western boundary of the flat, agricultural landscape of Central Illinois, and is served by Interstate 72 (U.S. 36) running east and west and U.S. 67 running north and 3 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Jacksonville Downtown Historic District Morgan, Illinois Name of Property County and State south. Also, Illinois Route 104 serves the city from the southeast. The community is surrounded by both flat and rolling, fertile farmland and several forested groves. The Jacksonville Downtown Historic District consists of roughly 33 acres containing 104 buildings. The District runs south to north and east to west through and around the Central Park. The District is roughly bounded on the north by northern lot lines of properties on the east half of the north side of Central Park and by Court Street; on the east along the eastern property boundaries of 214 East Court, 301 and 330 East State Street, 217 East Morgan, 230 South Mauvaisterre, and 230, 304 and 309 South Main; on the south by State and Morgan Streets and College Avenue, as well as the southern lot boundaries of 201-231 West Morgan Street, 304 and 309 South Main Street, 49-53 South Central Park Plaza, and 230 South Mauvaisterre; and on the west by South West and South Sandy Streets, as well as the western property lines of 327 and 326 West State Street, 231 West Morgan, 227-309 South Main, and 230 South Mauvaisterre. The District is primarily a commercial one with some public use, surrounded by a band of residential, religious and scholastic properties on its periphery. The commercial buildings are generally flat-roofed, 1-3 story brick buildings ranging in style from Italianate to Mid-Century Modern, constructed from the 1860’s-70’s to the mid-20th century (with façade modernization occurring mid-20th century and later.) The public buildings range from the 1869 Second Empire style Morgan County Courthouse to the early 20th century Classical Revival former U.S. Post Office. The District also includes the notable