Category Archives: Buildings

John Hay Homes

Posted on October 22, 2013 by editor

The John Hay Homes was a 599-unit public housing complex built in 1940 in Springfield and demolished in 1997. When built, the Hay Homes replaced a slum neighhborhood known as the Badlands, and the townhouse-style complex was designed for middle-class … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Local government, Parks, Prominent figures, Social services, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Lincoln Home neighborhood

Posted on October 16, 2013 by editor

Although the Lincoln family home at Eighth and Jackson streets in Springfield reflected Abraham Lincoln’s status as a prominent attorney and politician, the National Park Service points out that the neighborhood surrounding the home was a diverse one. The following … Continue reading →

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Lincoln-Herndon law office building, 1886 (photo)

Posted on October 16, 2013 by editor

Abraham Lincoln shared offices on the third floor of this building at Sixth and Adams streets with two of his three law partners — Stephen T. Logan, 1843-44, and William H. Herndon from 1844 to 1860. The second floor housed … Continue reading →

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Gov. Joel Matteson mansion

Posted on October 15, 2013 by editor

Springfield’s most elaborate early dwelling was that of former governor Joel Matteson (1808-73; governor, 1853-57). Matteson had moved into the then-new Executive Mansion during his gubernatorial term, but found it to be “dull and unfashionable.” So, Paul Angle reported in … Continue reading →

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Larkin Mead, Lincoln Tomb designer

Posted on October 15, 2013 by editor

Larkin Mead (1835-1910), who designed the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, got his artistic start from a snow angel. Not the kind children make by lying down in snow, but an 8-foot-tall, highly detailed snow statue of the biblical Recording … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and letters, Buildings, Historic Sites, Lincoln, Abraham, Museums, Presidents | Tagged | 1 Comment

Pillsbury Mills

Posted on October 13, 2013 by editor

Note: This entry was significantly expanded in 2021 and slightly updated in 2022. 2025 note: With demolition under way, the Pillsbury Project issued its own 128-page history of the Springfield plant, along with documentation of the plant’s buildings and processes. … Continue reading →

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Robin Roberts Stadium

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

This entry has been updated. Robin Roberts Stadium, then named Reservoir Park, opened on May 12, 1925. About 12,000 people watched a Three-I League baseball game between the Springfield Senators and the Terre Haute Hottentots. (The Senators lost, 6-4.) The … Continue reading →

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Sangamon County Jail, 1914 (Springfield Survey photo)

Posted on October 9, 2013 by editor

The Springfield Survey was a massive study of local schools, prisons, and other institutions undertaken in 1914 by the Russell Sage Foundation with the help of hundreds of local volunteers. Topics covered included schools, care of “mental defectives, the insane … Continue reading →

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Westminster Presbyterian Church

Posted on October 8, 2013 by editor

See Second Presbyterian Church.

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Second Presbyterian Church

Posted on October 8, 2013 by editor

Springfield’s Second Presbyterian Church (now known as Westminster Presbyterian Church), was founded in May 1835, when 30 members of First Presbyterian Church split from the parent congregation. Although some researchers ascribe the split to a dispute over slavery, with Second … Continue reading →

Posted in Abolitionism, Buildings, Churches | Tagged , | 1 Comment