Burnham Athenaeum Explained

Burnham Athenaeum
Location:306 W. Church St., Champaign, Illinois
Coordinates:40.1186°N -88.2472°W
Architect:Julius A. Schweinfurth
Architecture:Classical Revival
Added:June 7, 1978
Refnum:78001115

The Burnham Athenaeum, also known as the Champaign Public Library, is a historic library building located at 306 W. Church St. in Champaign, Illinois. Built in 1896 through a donation from Albert C. Burnham, the building was Champaign's first permanent library. Architect Julius A. Schweinfurth designed the Classical Revival building. The two-story building is built from cream-colored brick with terra cotta ornamentation. The front entrance features four two-story Ionic columns supporting a pediment and an inscribed frieze. A terra cotta band encircles the building below the second-story window sill line. The Champaign Public Library occupied the building until 1978, when it moved to a larger facility.[1]

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 7, 1978.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Winay. Nora. Selin. Paul. Olsen. Gary. Olsen. Michele. Wajenberg. Joyce. Dankert. Russell. National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Burnham Athenaeum. https://web.archive.org/web/20140819125537/http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/pdfs/200206.pdf. dead. August 19, 2014. National Park Service. August 17, 2014. January 17, 1978.