The Cohen Building On W. Main Street, Urbana, Illinois
On the northeast corner of W. Main and Race St., across the street from the Bennett Building (drug store) featured earlier in this series, is the Cohen Building. Completed in 1907, the classical revival style structure was designed by Urbana architect Joseph W. Royer (1873-1954), a University of Illinois School of Architecture graduate and the man who designed the magnificent Champaign County Courthouse.
When it opened in 1907, the Cohen Building contained many different businesses, such as Nathan Cohen’s cigar factory on the second floor, offices at the street level, an ice cream and candy store on the east side with an adjacent barber shop, and the Urbana Banking Company’s headquarters in the corner. A tailor shop was added in 1909 at the back of the building while the same previous businesses remained After Cohen retired from the cigar business in 1913, the full expansion of the offices, bank and commercial stores was established. The Cohen building continues as a professional office and commercial building.
To the east (right) of the Cohen Building are two single story buildings connected by a common wall. Both buildings were completed in 1885 and are nearly identical in detailing. 130 W. Main, next to the Cohen Building, historically was a millinery shop and barber shop, and is now a legal office. The building next to it at 126 W. Main, historically was a flower shop, and is now a restaurant known as the Dancing Dog Eatery and Juicery.
The Cohen Building, along with 130 W. Main and 126 W. Main lie within the Joseph W. Royer Arts and Architecture District in the heart of old Urbana, and are contributing buildings within the Downtown Urbana Historic District listed in 2019 on the National Register of Historic Places.
Urbana is the seat of Champaign County. Located in east central Illinois, the twin cities of Urbana and Champaign are the home of the University of Illinois. The population of Champaign County at the 2020 census was 205,865.
The Cohen Building On W. Main Street, Urbana, Illinois
On the northeast corner of W. Main and Race St., across the street from the Bennett Building (drug store) featured earlier in this series, is the Cohen Building. Completed in 1907, the classical revival style structure was designed by Urbana architect Joseph W. Royer (1873-1954), a University of Illinois School of Architecture graduate and the man who designed the magnificent Champaign County Courthouse.
When it opened in 1907, the Cohen Building contained many different businesses, such as Nathan Cohen’s cigar factory on the second floor, offices at the street level, an ice cream and candy store on the east side with an adjacent barber shop, and the Urbana Banking Company’s headquarters in the corner. A tailor shop was added in 1909 at the back of the building while the same previous businesses remained After Cohen retired from the cigar business in 1913, the full expansion of the offices, bank and commercial stores was established. The Cohen building continues as a professional office and commercial building.
To the east (right) of the Cohen Building are two single story buildings connected by a common wall. Both buildings were completed in 1885 and are nearly identical in detailing. 130 W. Main, next to the Cohen Building, historically was a millinery shop and barber shop, and is now a legal office. The building next to it at 126 W. Main, historically was a flower shop, and is now a restaurant known as the Dancing Dog Eatery and Juicery.
The Cohen Building, along with 130 W. Main and 126 W. Main lie within the Joseph W. Royer Arts and Architecture District in the heart of old Urbana, and are contributing buildings within the Downtown Urbana Historic District listed in 2019 on the National Register of Historic Places.
Urbana is the seat of Champaign County. Located in east central Illinois, the twin cities of Urbana and Champaign are the home of the University of Illinois. The population of Champaign County at the 2020 census was 205,865.