Vriner's Confectionery

Vriner's Confectionery is a historic confectionery store located at 55 Main Street in Champaign, Illinois.

Vriner's Confectionery
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	55 Main St., Champaign, Illinois
Coordinates	40°7′3″N 88°14′27″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1890 (1890)
NRHP reference No.	83000305[1]
Added to NRHP	May 9, 1983

History

The building was constructed in 1890 as a clothing store; Vriner's opened in the building in 1898. One of five or six candy shops operating in Champaign at the turn of the century, Vriner's was the longest-lived. The shop was located next to a vaudeville theater and near Champaign's railroad station, and it became popular with patrons of both. The store also led to an influx of Greek immigrants to Champaign, as Vriner's promised jobs to many of the new immigrants.[2]

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 9, 1983.[1] The confectionery store closed in 1997; while the Vriner family still makes candy, they no longer have a permanent storefront. A country bar now occupies the building.[3]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. Betts, Carol Bolton (January 11, 1983). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Vriner's Confectionery" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
3. Fein, Seth (December 14, 2007). "Vriner's Confectionary: Age Old Sweet Makers Without a Home". Smile Politely. Archived from the original on August 17, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.