Joliet East Side Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Joliet East Side Historic District is a set of 290 buildings in Joliet
, Illinois
. Of these 290 buildings, 281 contribute to the historical integrity of the area. Joliet was founded in 1831, deemed an ideal place for a settlement to reap the local natural resources. Most importantly, large beds of limestone provided a strong economic incentive to develop the area. Several important structures were constructed with Joliet limestone, including the Old State Capitol and Chicago Water Tower
. Joliet incorporated in 1852 and prospered due to its location on the Illinois and Michigan Canal
.
James B. Campbell plat
ted the first East Side property in 1834 and named it Juliet after his daughter. Two years later, Will County was formed and Juliet was chosen as the county seat. Citizens on the land renamed the area Joliet in 1845 after French explorer Louis Jolliet
. Thirty-two houses were constructed on the East Side between 1852 and 1873. The area was sought after because of its proximity to the railway station. The first mayor of Joliet, Cornelius Van Horn, built his residence here in 1852. Van Horn's son William
became a magnate in the Canadian railroad industry.
By 1873, the East Side had a reputation as the most prestigious in the city. The region was anchored by the Jacob A. Henry Mansion; Henry was a wealthy railroad tycoon. The first churches in the area, the Central Presbyterian Church and the Richards Street Methodist Church, were built soon afterward. Commerce flourished on Washington street after a row of commercial structures were constructed. However, the area was hit particularly hard by the Great Depression
. Many mansions, including the Jacob A. Henry Mansion, were converted into boarding house
s or funeral parlors. The east side failed to recover from the depression; remaining houses were converted into multiple-family homes or abandoned. The construction of Interstate 80
in the 1960s revitalized Washington Street, but did little for the residential areas. In 1975, Joliet financed a program to assist East Side home owners to rehabilitate their homes. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Of these 290 buildings, 281 contribute to the historical integrity of the area. Joliet was founded in 1831, deemed an ideal place for a settlement to reap the local natural resources. Most importantly, large beds of limestone provided a strong economic incentive to develop the area. Several important structures were constructed with Joliet limestone, including the Old State Capitol and Chicago Water Tower
Chicago Water Tower
The Chicago Water Tower is a contributing property in the Old Chicago Water Tower District landmark district. It is located at 806 North Michigan Avenue along the Magnificent Mile shopping district in the Near North Side community area of Chicago, Illinois...
. Joliet incorporated in 1852 and prospered due to its location on the Illinois and Michigan Canal
Illinois and Michigan Canal
The Illinois and Michigan Canal ran from the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago on the Chicago River to LaSalle-Peru, Illinois, on the Illinois River. It was finished in 1848 when Chicago Mayor James Hutchinson Woodworth presided over its opening; and it allowed boat transportation from the Great...
.
James B. Campbell plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted the first East Side property in 1834 and named it Juliet after his daughter. Two years later, Will County was formed and Juliet was chosen as the county seat. Citizens on the land renamed the area Joliet in 1845 after French explorer Louis Jolliet
Louis Jolliet
Louis Jolliet , also known as Louis Joliet, was a French Canadian explorer known for his discoveries in North America...
. Thirty-two houses were constructed on the East Side between 1852 and 1873. The area was sought after because of its proximity to the railway station. The first mayor of Joliet, Cornelius Van Horn, built his residence here in 1852. Van Horn's son William
William Cornelius Van Horne
Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, KCMG was a pioneering Canadian railway executive.-Life and career:Born in 1843 in rural Illinois, he moved with his family to Joliet, Illinois when he was eight years old...
became a magnate in the Canadian railroad industry.
By 1873, the East Side had a reputation as the most prestigious in the city. The region was anchored by the Jacob A. Henry Mansion; Henry was a wealthy railroad tycoon. The first churches in the area, the Central Presbyterian Church and the Richards Street Methodist Church, were built soon afterward. Commerce flourished on Washington street after a row of commercial structures were constructed. However, the area was hit particularly hard by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Many mansions, including the Jacob A. Henry Mansion, were converted into boarding house
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
s or funeral parlors. The east side failed to recover from the depression; remaining houses were converted into multiple-family homes or abandoned. The construction of Interstate 80
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
in the 1960s revitalized Washington Street, but did little for the residential areas. In 1975, Joliet financed a program to assist East Side home owners to rehabilitate their homes. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980.
Selected structures of significance
Joliet selected fifty-one sites and structures of particular value to exemplify the historical merit of the district. Most of the records concerning the dates of the contributing buildings were lost in a fire in 1912.- Commercial Row (1875–1886) - Late Victorian storefronts with Greek Revival and Italianate details. The stores originally hosted bakeries, hardware stores, and other important services.
- Fisher Home (built between 1887 and 1891) - Queen Anne residence
- Jacob A. Henry House (1871) - Second Empire and Italianate residence. The house was the most expensive in Will County at the time of its construction. It is listed separately on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Dr. Salter Homme (1887) - Second Empire residence with an EastlakeEastlake MovementThe Eastlake Movement was a nineteenth century architectural and household design reform movement started by architect and writer Charles Eastlake . The movement is generally considered part of the late Victorian period in terms of broad antique furniture designations...
porch.
- Julius W. Folk Home (1873) - VernacularVernacular architectureVernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
residence with Greek Revival and Italianate details. It was the first home to Jacob A. Henry. Folk was a contractor for Henry's railroads and married into the family.
- Central Presbyterian Church (1895) - Gothic Revival church constructed with limestone donated by Jacob A. Henry.
- Akin Home (built before 1898) - Edward C. Akin was a founder of the Joliet Valparaiso Railroad Company. He later served at Illinois State AttorneyState's AttorneyIn the United States, the State's Attorney is, most commonly, an elected official who represents the State in criminal prosecutions and is often the chief law enforcement officer of their respective county, circuit...
, Illinois Attorney GeneralIllinois Attorney GeneralThe Illinois Attorney General is the highest legal officer of the state of Illinois in the United States. Originally an appointed office, it is now an office filled by election through universal suffrage...
, and mayor of Joliet. House has been altered with vinyl siding.
- Goodspeed Home (built before 1877) - Italianate residence
- G. Ducker Home (built between 1890 and 1896) - Unusual building with Ionic columns and Classical Revival elements. George Ducker founded the Ducker Dry Goods Store. His daughter married L. Frank BaumL. Frank BaumLyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
, author of The Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
.
- Heggie Home (built before 1898) - Italianate residence. James Heggie founded the Heggie Manufacturing Company, producing boilerBoilerA boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
s. He later served as Joliet City Councilman.
- 105-107 Eastern Avenue (built before 1898) - Vernacular and Georgian Revival residence.
- Woodruff Home/Brown Lincoln Hotel (1905) - Originally the house of George Woodruff, who was President of the First National Bank. He abolished private banks in Illinois in 1911, and assisted U.S. Senators with composing the Federal Reserve ActFederal Reserve ActThe Federal Reserve Act is an Act of Congress that created and set up the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States of America, and granted it the legal authority to issue Federal Reserve Notes and Federal Reserve Bank Notes as legal tender...
. He also founded the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce. The residence was later converted into a hotel.
- Rubens Home (built before 1898) - Louis M. Rubens built several theaters in Joliet, including the Rubens Rialto Square Theater, the first in Illinois to show motion pictures with sound. The house is noted for its Prairie SchoolPrairie SchoolPrairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
influences.
- 205 Eastern Avenue (built before 1898) - Queen Anne residence.
- Phelps Home (built before 1873) - Italiante residence. Egbert Phelps was a U.S. Army veteran and attorney. He worked to establish the Joliet Public Library.
- Dr. Werner Home (built between 1890 and 1896) - Residence with Romanesque Revival features.
- Dibell Home (built before 1898) - Dorrence Dibell was a circuit court judge and later elected to the Illinois Appellate CourtIllinois Appellate CourtThe Illinois Appellate Court is the court of first appeal for civil and criminal cases arising in the Illinois Circuit Courts. Three Illinois Appellate Court judges hear each case and the concurrence of two is necessary to render a decision. The Illinois Appellate Court will render its opinion in...
. The house was later sided.
- Snapp Home (built before 1873) - Henry SnappHenry SnappHenry Snapp was a U.S. Representative from Illinois, father of Howard Malcolm Snapp.Born in Livonia, New York, Snapp moved with his parents to Rochester, New York, in 1825.He attended the common schools of that city....
was the United States Assessor and served on the Illinois SenateIllinois SenateThe Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. The Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from...
before being elected to the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, where he served for one term (1871–1873).
- Dr. Dougall Home (built before 1877) - Queen Anne residence. Dougall was the Chief Surgeon of the Illinois and Michigan Canal Division. His office is now a museum in LockportLockport, IllinoisLockport is a city in Will County, Illinois, United States, that incorporated in 1853. Lockport is located in northeastern Illinois, 30 miles southwest of Chicago, and north of Joliet, at locks connecting Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal with the Des Plaines River via the Lockport...
.
- 212 Eastern Avenue (built between 1898 and 1924) - Residence with Adam styleAdam styleThe Adam style is an 18th century neoclassical style of interior design and architecture, as practiced by the three Adam brothers from Scotland; of whom Robert Adam and James Adam were the most widely known.The Adam brothers were the first to advocate an integrated style for architecture and...
and Georgian Revival elements.
- Barr Home (built before 1898) - Vernacular residence. George Barr was an attorney who practiced with his brother, Illinois Senator Richard Barr, and became one of the most successful practices in the state. George Barr also served as mayor of Joliet, State Attorney, and as a trusteeTrusteeTrustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
for the University of Illinois
- Van Horn Home (1852) - Vernacular residence. Home to Cornelius Van Horne, the first mayor of Joliet, and William Cornelius Van HorneWilliam Cornelius Van HorneSir William Cornelius Van Horne, KCMG was a pioneering Canadian railway executive.-Life and career:Born in 1843 in rural Illinois, he moved with his family to Joliet, Illinois when he was eight years old...
, who built the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
through the Canadian RockiesCanadian RockiesThe Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
.
- 303 Richards (built before 1898) - Georgian Revival residence with Ionic columns
- 121 Union (built before 1898) - Vernacular residence
- Barber Home (built before 1898) - Queen Anne residence. William C. Barber was mayor of Joliet from 1915-1923.
- Bates Home (built before 1898) - Gothic Revival residence. William O. Bates founded the Bates Machine Company, which produced tracked vehicleTracked vehicleA tracked vehicle is a vehicle that runs on continuous tracks instead of wheels...
s.
- Maue Home (built before 1898) - Queen Anne, Gothic Revival, and Stick-EastlakeStick-EastlakeThe Stick style was a late-19th-century American architectural style. According to McAlester, it served as the transition between the Carpenter Gothic style of the mid-19th century, and the Queen Anne style that it evolved into and superseded it by the 1890s....
residence. August Maue was a school principal and author.
- 209 Bartleson (built before 1898) - Queen Anne residence
- A. J. Bates Home (built before 1898) - Residence of no particular style. Bates as an inventor who created the Bates Woven Wire Fence Machine for use in steel mills.
- G. Julian Barnes Home (1890) - Richardsonian RomanesqueRichardsonian RomanesqueRichardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
residence. Barnes was an architect who designed many Joliet homes, including his own.
- 320 Richards (built between 1910 and 1924) - Mission Revival Style residence
- King Home (1889) - Substantially altered Queen Anne residence. J. P. King was a California Gold RushCalifornia Gold RushThe California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
prospector who later operated a lumber business.
- M. Calmer Home (built before 1887) - Italianate residence with Greek Revival elements designed by James Weese. Michael Calmer was a dry goods merchant and later president of the Will County National Banka and Joliet Sheet Rolling Mill Co.
- Snapp Home (1898) - Georgian Revival residence designed by C. W. Webster. Howard M. SnappHoward M. SnappHoward Malcolm Snapp was a U.S. Representative from Illinois, son of Henry Snapp.Born in Joliet, Illinois, Snapp attended the Eastern Avenue school and Forest University in Chicago, Illinois from 1872 to 1875....
served as a Republican in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1903 to 1911.
- Morrison Home (built between 1890 and 1896) - Altered Queen Anne residence. Robert J. Morrison was a colonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in the Civil War.
- Hill Home (built before 1877) - Italianate residence with Greek Revival features. Hill served as State Attorney.
- Washington Junior High School (1898) - Collegiate GothicCollegiate Gothic in North AmericaCollegiate Gothic is an architectural genre, a subgenre of Gothic Revival architecture.-History:The beginnings of Collegiate Gothic in North America date back to 1894 when Cope & Stewardson completed Pembroke Hall on the campus of Bryn Mawr College...
school designed by C. W. Webster
- 23 Eastern (c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1859) - Altered Italianate residence with Greek Revival details.
- 110 Union (built before 1898) - Residence with Gothic Revival features.
- 208-210 Lincoln (built between 1900 and 1924) - Residence of no particular style
- Alpline Home (c. 1884) - Queen Anne residence
- 117-119 Eastern (built before 1898) - Vernacular residence with Italianate and Greek Revival details.
- 207 Eastern (built before 1898) - Queen Anne residence with Classical Revival elements
- Richards Street Methodist Church (1890) - Gothic and Romanesque Revival church designed by J. H. Barnes.
- 208-110 Osgood (built between 1898 and 1924) - Georgian Revival residence
- 216-218 Eastern (built between 1910 and 1924) - Spanish Colonial Revival residence
- 306 Union (built before 1898) - Vernacular residence with Italianate and Greek Revival elements
- Wagner Home (built before 1898) - Vernacular residence with Greek Revival elements
- 315 Sherman (built before 1898) - Queen Anne residence
- 308-310 Richards (built before 1898) - Queen Anne residence