Category Archives: Historic Sites

Statehouse entrance revamped (1885-86)

Posted on December 31, 2021 by editor

For the first decade of its existence, people entering the east doors of the Illinois Statehouse had to stagger up a massive “grand staircase” to the building’s second floor. That changed in the 1880s, thanks to what was cutting-edge technology … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Disasters, Fires, Historic Sites, Illinois capital, Irish, John T. Stuart, Local government, Prominent figures, State government | Leave a comment

Auburn Brick Road

Posted on October 11, 2021 by editor

An empty stretch of highway near Auburn might be Sangamon County’s most obscure historic site. The Auburn Brick Road, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, draws what few visitors it does because it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Historic Sites, National Register, Transportation | 1 Comment

St. Nicholas Hotel early days

Posted on April 17, 2021 by editor

J. Emil Smith, editor, publisher and columnist for the Illinois State Journal, wrote the following memory of the early St. Nicholas Hotel on Nov. 28, 1943, a few days before the McCreery family relinquished ownership. The McCreerys had operated the … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Business, Historic Sites, Hotels & taverns, National Register, Prominent figures, Restaurants, Social life, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

First European buried in Sangamon County

Posted on December 12, 2020 by editor

The first European to die in Sangamon County apparently was a U.S. Ranger enlisted to help protect early European settlers from Native Americans during the War of 1812. The man, probably named William Hewitt, was shot in an unprovoked scuffle … Continue reading →

Posted in Historic Sites, Histories, Markers, Military, Native Americans, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Old Capitol restoration, 1960s

Posted on October 27, 2020 by editor

Before the Old State Capitol was restored to the way it looked in the 1850s, the building housed Springfield’s public restrooms. You could tell by the odor. Earl “Wally” Henderson (1931-2016), co-founder with Don Ferry of the Ferry & Henderson … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, First Citizens, Historic Sites, Illinois capital, Local government, Museums, National Register, Prominent figures, Sangamon County, State government | Leave a comment

Iron Spring, Washington Park

Posted on October 16, 2020 by editor

The Iron Spring in Washington Park originally poured forth from a sandstone cave at the foot of a steep clay bluff. Cattle drank its water. But when Washington Park opened in 1901, the spring was one of its earliest attractions. … Continue reading →

Posted in Historic Sites, Local government, Markers, Parks, Social life, Sports and recreation | Leave a comment

Dismantled statues, Illinois Statehouse lawn

Posted on October 5, 2020 by editor

The statue of Pierre Menard that formerly stood on the Illinois Statehouse grounds was a gift from a citizen of Missouri. Was it a good likeness of Illinois’ first lieutenant governor? Nobody knows. The Menard statue, along with that of … Continue reading →

Posted in Historic Sites, Illinois capital, Markers, Politics, Presidential candidates, Prominent figures, State government, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Rev. Charles Dresser (Lincoln marriage, Lincoln Home)

Posted on July 5, 2020 by editor

The man who built the cottage that became the Lincoln Home also officiated the marriage of Abraham and Mary Lincoln. His life’s work, however, was formation of the church that became Springfield’s Cathedral Church of St. Paul. Rev. Charles Dresser … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Churches, Historic Sites, Lincoln, Abraham, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Broadwell’s building

Posted on January 30, 2020 by editor

This entry has been edited to correct information in a photo caption. The building on the northwest corner of Fifth and Washington streets in Springfield was a drugstore for about 125 years. While that tradition ended in 1981, the old … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Business, Historic Sites, Medicine, Prominent figures | 2 Comments

Brinkerhoff Home

Posted on January 24, 2020 by editor

The Brinkerhoff Home at Fifth Street and Keys Avenue was designed in the 1860s by Elijah E. Myers, who would go on to be one of 19th-century America’s best known, and least reputable, architects. The three-story, red brick mansion at … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Historic Sites, National Register, Prominent figures | 9 Comments