Category Archives: Architecture

Benjamin S. Edwards

Posted on July 3, 2014 by editor

Benjamin Stephenson Edwards (1818-86) was the youngest son of Ninian Edwards, governor of the Illinois Territory and third governor of the state of Illinois. Benjamin received his education at Yale University and became the first citizen born in Illinois to … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Early residents, Historic Sites, John T. Stuart, Lincoln, Abraham, Politics, Prominent figures | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Wheeland Haven, Riverton

Posted on June 25, 2014 by editor

In the early 1900s, in the midst of coal mines and cornfields east of Riverton, was a 17-acre oasis of beauty — Wheeland Haven, the home of Olive Black Wheeland and her husband Cyrus. Cyrus Wheeland was a farmer, grain … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Architecture, Buildings, Historic Sites, National Register, Parks, Prominent figures, Women | 17 Comments

Hawthorne Place

Posted on June 5, 2014 by editor

The developers of the Hawthorne Place subdivision were ahead of their time. Its construction, starting in 1902, triggered Springfield’s suburban growth and created new ways of living for residents of the city. Hawthorne Place, which takes in Whittier, Lowell and … Continue reading →

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Orange Judd buildings, Rochester

Posted on May 22, 2014 by editor

Buildings pictured in a 1918 collection, the Orange Judd Farmer Pictorial Community Album of Rochester Township and Village, are part of a walking tour created under sponsorship of the Rochester Historical Preservation Society. The Orange Judd Publishing Co. produced a … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Architecture, Buildings, Communities, Historic Sites, Histories, National Register, Prominent figures | Tagged | Leave a comment

James A. Stubbs masonry

Posted on April 19, 2014 by editor

James A. Stubbs (1864-1937) was a builder, brick and masonry contractor and landlord for 45 years in Springfield. His work was generally unmarked,  but many of his buildings still stand and are a distinctive part of the city’s fabric. Stubbs, … Continue reading →

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Central Illinois Public Service Co.

Posted on March 5, 2014 by editor

The utility company now part of the utility conglomerate Ameren Illinois was founded in Mattoon as an electric streetcar line in 1902. The firm eventually moved into other businesses — electric generation and distribution and delivery of  natural gas, water … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Business, Department stores, Depression, Industry | 4 Comments

Church of St. Francis of Assisi

Posted on December 13, 2013 by editor

The ornate Church of St. Francis of Assisi, built from 1920 to 1924, is the centerpiece of the motherhouse of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis northeast of Springfield. See Franciscan Motherhouse.

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Franciscan Life Center (former Franciscan motherhouse)

Posted on December 12, 2013 by editor

The Hospital Sisters of St. Francis  operated a convent and church on a 300-acre site northeast of Springfield from 1917 until 2021. The order of Roman Catholic nuns, which began providing medical care in central Illinois in 1875, bought the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Arts and letters, Churches, Public health, Social services, Women | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

Susan Lawrence Dana

Posted on November 16, 2013 by editor

Note: This entry was significantly expanded in July 2023. See “Hat tips” below. Susan Lawrence Dana (1862-1946) was a Springfield socialite, activist and philanthropist best known for commissioning architect Frank Lloyd Wright to transform her family’s Civil War-era home at … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Historic Sites, Museums, Prominent figures, Schools and school districts, Social services, State government, Women | 2 Comments

Judge John Wickliffe Taylor House

Posted on November 9, 2013 by editor

The 20-room Judge John Taylor House built in 1857, housed the Home and Hospital for Fallen Women starting in 1868 and later the Ambidexter Institute, an “industrial school” primarily for African American boys. The Taylor home, 12th and Cass streets … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Architecture, Buildings, Early residents, Historic Sites, Women | Tagged | Leave a comment