What to See in Charleston - Top Sights and Attractions

Courthouse in Charleston, Illinois. Coles County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Charleston, Illinois. The courthouse is located in a public square in central Charleston and houses most of Coles County, Illinois's administrative offices as well as its courts. It was built in 1898 and designed by architect Cornelius W. Rapp in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The building's exterior is faced in brown stone from the Embarras River; Bedford stone is used for several architectural details. The corners of the building feature pavilions topped by pyramids, and a clock tower topped with a pyramid is situated atop the center of the courthouse. The four main entrances, located on each side of the building, feature an arcaded porch with recessed doors.

The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 28, 1978.^[1]

Building in Charleston, Illinois. The Old Main, also known as the Livingston C. Lord Administration Building, is the oldest building at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. Construction on the building began in 1896 and was completed in 1899. Architect George H. Miller designed the building, which has a medieval style resembling a castle. The building features a central tower, multiple turrets, and a crenellated roof line. It is one of five medieval buildings built at Illinois' public universities under Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld's administrations; the buildings are collectively known as Altgeld's castles. The Old Main originally housed all of the offices and classrooms for Eastern Illinois, its library, auditorium, and gymnasium. It was the only building on campus until 1909, when Pemberton Hall opened. The building is now used mainly as an administrative building, though it still contains some classrooms.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 16, 1981.^[2]

Theatre in Charleston, Illinois. The Will Rogers Theatre and Commercial Block is a historic theatre and commercial building located at 705-715 Monroe Avenue in Charleston, Illinois. The theatre, named for entertainer Will Rogers, was built in 1935 and opened in 1938. The Art Deco building was the first Art Deco structure in Charleston and is the only existing Art Deco commercial building in Coles County and the six counties it borders. The front facade of the building is decorated with colored terra cotta tiles which form yellow, red, and black stripes. The theatre has a tall tower over its entrance which supports the top of its neon marquee. The interior decorations, which also have an Art Deco influence, include recessed lighting and flowered and geometric patterns painted on the ceiling by hand.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 12, 1984.^[3]

Arch bridge in Charleston, Illinois. The Sixth, Seventh, and Tenth Street Stone Arch Bridges are three stone arch bridges in Charleston, Illinois, which carry Sixth, Seventh, and Tenth Streets across the Town Branch of Cassell Creek. Prominent local stonemason Alexander Briggs built the three bridges during the 1890s, when increasing development in Charleston expanded across the creek. The three bridges were all built from locally quarried limestone, and each has a single arch design with abutments at both ends. While Charleston has thirteen bridges across the Town Branch, these three are the only stone arch bridges in the city.

The bridges were added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 8, 2001.^[5]

Heritage building in Charleston, Illinois. The McFarland House is a historic house located at 895 7th St. in Charleston, Illinois. Architect Charles D. Mitchell designed the Queen Anne house, which was built from 1890 to 1892. The front of the house features a wraparound porch decorated with elliptical bracketing, pendants along the roof line, and partially turned columns. A small second-story porch above the entrance has the same design. A gable at the entrance has a sunburst design; the large gable at the top of the house has a matching sunburst. The attic windows, which are located in the large gable, have a pent roof and are surrounded by decorative woodwork. Queen Anne features inside the house include a stained glass bay window in the parlor, a fireplace decorated with ceramic tiles, decorative spindlework, and wooden door and window surrounds.

The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 14, 1991.^[6]

Historical landmark in Charleston, Illinois. The Alexander Briggs House is a historic house located at 210 Jackson St. in Charleston, Illinois. Prominent local stonemason Alexander Briggs built the stone house in 1894; it is the only stone house remaining in Coles County. The house's design incorporates features of the Italianate and Renaissance Revival styles; the combination is unusual, as the Renaissance Revival style was rarely used in small houses. Briggs built the house with multicolored sandstone and used marble and granite to form decorative belt courses and quoins, giving the house its Renaissance Revival appearance. The house's Italianate elements include its tall, narrow arched windows and its gently sloping roof.

The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 31, 1980.^[7]