East Main Street, Jos. Kuhn & Company, Champaign, Illinois
Image by myoldpostcards
A view looking east on E. Main from N. Walnut St. in downtown Champaign. The five buildings in this view on the north side of E. Main all contribute to the Champaign Downtown Commercial District listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. All were built between 1860 and 1907, and are Italianate and early 20th century commercial designs.
The most prominent building on this block is the four-story building with a center atrium that was constructed for the Jos. Kuhn & Company in 1907. Jos. Kuhn & Co. is a longtime outpost for men’s attire that gradually grew until four of the five buildings in this block were being utilized by the company. Although the company’s footprint today is smaller, it is still in business today at the same location.
Located in Champaign County in east central Illinois, the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana are the home of the University of Illinois. The population of the City of Champaign at the 2020 census was 88,302, while Champaign County had a population of 205,865.
Source: An outstanding source of information on Champaign’s history is T.J. Blakeman’s champaignhistory.com website. Highly recommended for a much more in-depth look at the history of the city.
