Illinois Traction Building

Illinois Traction Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places


Location	41 E. University Ave., Champaign, Illinois
Coordinates	40°6′58″N 88°14′0″W / 40.11611°N 88.23333°W / 40.11611; -88.23333Coordinates: 40°6′58″N 88°14′0″W / 40.11611°N 88.23333°W / 40.11611; -88.23333
Area	less than one acre
Built	1913 (1913)
Built by	McKinley, William B.
Architect	Royer, Joseph
NRHP Reference #	86003782^[1]
Added to NRHP	September 20, 2006

The Illinois Traction Building, located at 41 E. University Ave. in Champaign, Illinois, was the headquarters of the Illinois Traction System, an interurban railroad serving Central Illinois. Built in 1913, the building held the railway's offices and served as the Champaign interurban station until 1936; it later housed the offices of the Illinois Power Company, which descended from the Illinois Traction System. Architect Joseph Royer planned the building in a contemporary commercial design. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 20, 2006.^[1]

History

The Illinois Traction System was established by William B. McKinley in the 1890s and 1900s. McKinley began his system by purchasing and electrifying local streetcar lines. In 1902, the system opened its first interurban line between Champaign and St. Joseph, and by 1911 it linked most major cities in Central Illinois, as well as St. Louis, Missouri. The company built the Illinois Traction Building in 1913 to replace its previous Champaign station; the new building had a central location and office space for the company. In 1928, the Illinois Traction System became part of the Illinois Terminal Railroad; its utility division became the Illinois Power and Light Company and maintained offices in the Traction Building. Streetcar service to the building ended in 1936, when a new owner replaced the lines with bus service; while interurban trains continued to serve Champaign, they stopped at a different station. The building continued to house the utility company, which became known as the Illinois Power Company, until it moved to a different building in 1985.^[2]

Architecture

Architect Joseph Royer designed the Illinois Traction Building in a contemporary commercial style. The building was a departure from Royer's previous work, which was primarily done in rustic or massive styles such as Romanesque. The three-story building is built from red brick and has terra cotta detailing. Four piers divide the three-bay front facade; the two side bays are slightly bowed. Terra cotta medallions top each pier, and scrolled shields on the piers mark the top of the first floor. The windows on each floor feature terra cotta sills and lintels. The building's original terra cotta cornice has been replaced by a white brick pediment.^[2]

References

Notes

1 2 Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
1 2 Lambert, Michael A. (September 1, 1985). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Illinois Traction Building" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved June 22, 2014.

External links

Media related to Illinois Traction Station at Wikimedia Commons

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People	List of people from Champaign

History and government	Burnham Athenaeum Cattle Bank Champaign City Building Champaign Public Library Construction of Assembly Hall First Presbyterian Church Illinois Traction Building Inman Hotel Lincoln Building Orpheum Theatre Stone Arch Bridge U.S. Post Office Vriner's Confectionery

Education	Centennial High School Champaign Central High School Judah Christian School St. Thomas More High School Parkland College University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign

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Public transportation	Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District Illinois Terminal University of Illinois Willard Airport

Interstates and highways	Interstate 57 Interstate 72 Interstate 74 U.S. Route 45 U.S. Route 150 Illinois Route 10

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