Downtown Quincy Historic District

About this property

The Downtown Quincy Historic District is a historic district located in downtown Quincy, Illinois, containing numerous buildings showcasing some of the city's late 19th century and early 20th century architecture. In the 1800s, Quincy was a popular destination for travelers making their way west via rail service. The Mississippi River was also a major economic benefit for the community, furthering the city's importance in commerce. The Elkton Hotel was built in 1924 as a collaboration project by local architects Martin Geise and Harvey Chatten. It was to function as the new home for the Elks Club. Geometric shapes on the brick structure are some of the more striking features of this building. In 1949, the upper floors were converted into apartments and the structure was re-branded as the Elkton Hotel. As for the original Elks Club clubrooms, they have been converted into a popular restaurant known as the Patio. Completed in 1888, the History Museum first functioned as the Quincy Public Library. It is a Romanesque Revival-style structure facing Washington Park. Following its years as a public library, the building functioned as the Gardner Museum of Architecture and Design. In addition to providing a glimpse at Quincy's rich architectural history, one of the museum's most extensive collections included a permanent exhibit of stained glass. Due to budget cuts, the museum closed in 2012, and most of its exhibits and stained glass were purchased by the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County. The building currently houses the History Museum. The museum displays selections of the extensive collections owned by the Society. The Historical Society also offers special events and speakers related to Quincy's rich history. The Hotel Quincy (originally known as the New Tremont Hotel) is a 7-story tall (100 ft) structure, completed in 1910, that functions as an apartment complex and also is the television studio for local NBC affiliate WGEM-TV. Beginning construction in 1880, the Illinois State Bank is a seven-story-tall structure showcasing Chicago-style architecture and was designed by Quincy architect Martin Geise. The first floor, housing the bank, featured a large White Colorado marble lobby with ivory and gold fixtures. The Kresge Building began its construction in 1923, and an additional phase of its construction began in 1939. It was designed by architect Harold Holmes. Controversy resulted when the developers wanted to construct only two levels, when the city required three by ordinance. Finding a way around the ordinance, the developers decided to create two levels of windows, thereby observing the city ordinance while maintaining the owners' request for two stories. In 1968, a massive fire damaged much of the building and the future of the structure was in jeopardy. Dale Kirlin Sr., who previously worked at the Kresge Building in his youth, decided to purchase the fire-damaged structure, extensively renovate, and re-locate the Kirlin's Hallmark company into the structure.

Location

Categories

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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