Looking at the 900 block of State Street, it is hard to imagine a street of houses. But if you could go back a few years, one would see just that including the home of Romeo and Naomi Garrett. The…
Memorialized on postcards and souvenir vases after opening in 1910, the Jefferson Building (Fulton and Jefferson streets) towered over the Peoria skyline symbolizing the city’s move into the modern age. Shortly before, local civic leaders William Hull and Edward Leisy…
What does Peoria have in common with Chicago? One thing that both share are iconic buildings by renowned Chicago architect William W. Boyington. Boyington designed many structures in the Chicago area during the later half of the 19th century, including the Old…
Think ice skating today and the Owens Center or the rebirth of outdoor skating with the addition of PNC Winterfest come to mind. But Peorians have had a long love with ice skating, first starting on the frozen Illinois River.…
It’s easy to pass by reminders of our local architectural history even when they are clearly marked. That can happen with the Pettengill Morron House at 1212 West Moss Avenue. The house seen today is actually the second one constructed…
The partnership of Edward Heidrich and Martin Kingman in 1888 to form the Peoria Cordage Company showed the growth of the American agricultural industry. The new company would specialize in producing binder twine and other similar products, and through another…
In 1916, the Board of the National Duroc-Jersey Association made the decision to construct an office building at the corner of Monroe and Fayette streets. A nationwide design search was started in early 1916 for a 40-by-100-foot project with nationwide…
For 104 years, the John C. Proctor Recreation Center, 209 S. Dusable St., has acted as a community centerpiece for Peoria’s Southside. Built in the Classical Revival style, the building is set off with twin limestone staircases that rise up…
Peoria City Hall total cost with furnishings in 1899: $271,500 Public buildings are by their intrinsic nature a reflection of the community that they serve and the time in which they are built. So it is with Peoria City Hall,…
In 2008, a ballot referendum passed with 72 percent approval to improve the library facilities throughout the Peoria Public Library system. Evidenced by this action, voters in Peoria made a public statement that all Peorians should have equal access to…
