National Register of Historic Places

Rock Island Depot and Freight House

Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois
Listed
December 22, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78001180

About this property

The Rock Island Depot and Freight House is a two-story railroad station and adjacent one-story freight house from the turn of the 20th century. It was constructed in 1899 directly besides the Illinois River in the American city of Peoria, Illinois. The depot and freight house are one of Peoria's last remaining historic reminders of the importance of passenger trains in the city's past, the other being the newer (1967) Rock Island station at 121 Morton Street now owned by the City of Peoria. The depot was built by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad as the terminus of a major branch line that delivered significant goods and passengers to Peoria. The 1900 opening of the depot was attended by "throngs of populous;" at its height before the depression of the 1880s, Peoria was a transportation hub. The station's clock tower was removed in 1939. The buildings were listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The last Rock Island train out of the station was the Peoria Rocket in 1978, of the company's Rock Island Rockets series. After the end of train service, the building became known as River Station, and has been a restaurant, and afterwards a set of restaurants and bars. Currently the building is occupied by Martinis On Water Street, and The Blue Duck Barbecue Tavern. It is adjacent to the Peoria Riverfront Museum.

Location

32 Liberty St.
Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois
40.68826, -89.58911

Categories

TRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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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Nearby Historic Sites

Central National Park Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Peace and Harvest
Listed
0.3 mi
Peoria City Hall
Industrial
0.3 mi
Pere Marquette Hotel
Industrial
0.4 mi
YWCA Building
Industrial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Rock Island Depot and Freight House listed on the National Register?

Rock Island Depot and Freight House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Rock Island Depot and Freight House?

Rock Island Depot and Freight House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Rock Island Depot and Freight House?

The period of significance for Rock Island Depot and Freight House is recorded as the industrial era.

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