25th Anniversary of the Grand Tour of West Bluff Homes
By Debbie Adlof | 7th May 2008
Spring’s arrival in the Peoria area is marked in many ways: the arrival of robins, the opening of Emo’s, the planting of palm trees at O’Brien’s field, annnnnnd the annual Grand Tour of West Bluff Homes. This year’s tour will be 25th anniversary of this annual event. It will be held on Sunday, May 18th from noon until 5:00 p.m. and will feature five west bluff homes as well as the Converse Marketing Building on Main Street. Local florists will decorate each location. Due to the anniversary date, local dignitaries will be at the homes to meet the public and to help celebrate those 25 years.
To offer a bit if history, the West Bluff began in the mid 1800’s when Peoria’s most prominent citizens built stately mansions along High-Wine Street, Moss Avenue, and Randolph Ave. Today the area includes Bradley Park, Bradley University, and ten neighborhoods: Armstrong-Ellis, Arbor District, Columbia Terrace North, Cottage District, Orchard District, High-Wine, Uplands, Moss-Bradley, Randolph-Roanoke, and University East.
Funds raised from the tour are used to beautify the West Bluff. Ticket donations are $12 in advance and $15 on the day of the tour. Tickets can be purchased at these participating florists: Sterling Flower Shoppe, Finishing Touches, Monier’s Flowers & Gifts, Michele’s Floral Events, Heaven on Earth, and Floral Expressions.
Tickets are also available at The Olde Hair Shoppe (a regular advertiser in this publication) in West Peoria and The Spotted Cow in Peoria, or from Committee Members. Listed below are brief tidbits for each home. Please note you can match the pictures to the addresses above!
1125 Main Street - Owner: Jane Bodman Converse - Bluff Crest Manor, now the home of Converse Marketing, was designed by Swedish architect Charles Ulrichson, and built in 1881 by Edward Easton, a wealthy grain trader and distiller. This lavish, 11,000-square-foot home is an example of Second Empire Design. The all-masonry structure has a carved stone, three-story tower; 14-foot ceilings; intricately carved walnut woodwork; marble and stone fireplaces; ebony, walnut, and oak parquet floors; and a third-floor ballroom and billiard room where Teddy Roosevelt, among others, was entertained.
1206 N. Flora Avenue - Owner: Dale & Tracey Hanssen - This Queen Anne style home—a “stick style” Victorian—is in Peoria’s Orchard District. It was built for James Durkin, owner of Durkin Pharmacy, and completed in 1884. Some of the home’s Victorian Queen Anne details include evidence of stick embellishment, an apron over the side window, and the prominent embedded corner tower. The home was recently restored by the present owners and has been converted from multiple small apartments back to a one-family dwelling.
1405 W. Columbia Terrace - Owner: Jared & Sandra Lonergan - This Georgian brick 4-square was built in 1926 by Charles Wison, a distillery and banking businessman. Its symmetrical interior structure, built on either side of a central entry way, classifies this home as Georgian. Extensive renovations were made in 2005 to the original kitchen and the upstairs master bedroom and bath. Today, smallest bedroom is what was originally a maid’s quarters.
1503 W. Parkside Drive - Owner: Brad & Mary George - This home is a Tudor Revival with Prairie and English influences, built circa 1923. Its first owner was Meyer Block, president of the Reliable & Iron Metal Company. The current owners have made several updates to the house, including the addition of a retaining wall, pool and patio in the back of the house; a fireplace insert; and a laundry room upstairs.
1922 W. Rohmann Avenue - Owners: Ryan Stevenson & Michael Murphy - This renovated four-bedroom home, built in 1924, was at one time owned by former Mayor Jim Maloof. The enclosed sunroom was originally a front porch, and original arched entries lead into the formal living room and din ing room in the front half of the home. One of the previous owners built an addition on the back of the house, which features a brick fireplace and picture windows. The current owners purchased the home in August 2007 and finished the basement with a full-service bar and home theater.
1605 W. Moss Avenue - Owner: Richard Tomic - This regal Cape Cod with an open floor plan was built in 1910 by Thomas Lovelace, a prominent Peoria financier. The letter “L” in the stained glass windows at the stairway landing stands for “Lovelace.” The home features original birch floors and woodwork as well as four fireplaces. The house has four bedrooms, three full baths and two half baths. Current owner Richard Tomic, who purchased the home in October 2007, is currently remodeling the third floor, which was the maid’s quarters.