Endangered historic sites
Some sites Landmark Illinois considers threatened:
Arcade Building, Riverside, Cook County. The 136-year-old site is one of the village’s oldest buildings and an early U.S. example of a multi-tenant commercial structure. Foreclosure stalled a restoration effort, and the building was vacated in January.
Archer House, Marshall, Clark County. Built 169 years ago by the town’s founder, it’s one of the state’s oldest hotels. Abraham Lincoln, as an attorney, once slept at the former stagecoach stop. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel closed in 2005.
Aurora Masonic Temple, Aurora, Kane County. Designed in 1922, this neoclassical building on the National Register closed in 2006. The building has suffered from deferred maintenance, resulting in water leakage and damage to architectural features.
Chautauqua Auditorium, Shelbyville, Shelby County. Built in 1903, this 20-sided wood-frame auditorium can accommodate 6,000 people, making it the biggest surviving “Chautauqua” auditorium of its kind nationwide. The building is listed on the National Register.
Davenport, Rock Island and Northwestern Depot, Moline, Rock Island County. Located in the Quad Cities along the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, this train depot was completed in 1900. It later served as office space and a visitors center was closed in 2008 and is vacant. Now it stands in the way of a potential off-ramp for a new federal highway bridge scheduled for construction. Environmental impact study published in January approves the depot’s demolition.
Lewis Pharmacy Interior, Canton, Fulton County. Interior virtually unchanged from its opening in 1915, including original cabinetry, booths, soda fountain, checkerboard floor and decorative art glass. Closed in February, and if an appropriate buyer can’t be found, the furniture and fixtures soon could be sold at auction.
Michael Reese Hospital, Chicago, Cook County. This lakefront complex has been identified as the site of the proposed Olympic Village and, along with 28 other buildings on the campus, have been identified for potential demolition this summer by the city.
Porthole Barns of Greene County. This grouping of over 30 barns can be seen dotting the countryside north of St. Louis. But lack of use and deferred maintenance has led to the steady deterioration of the barns. Four of the barns already have been lost in recent years.
Prentice Women’s Hospital, Chicago, Cook County. The 1975 site combined a number of previously separated hospital uses into one building. The building’s base remains occupied by a psychiatric center that will move in two years, after which ownership transfers to Northwestern University. The university has discussed building a new research facility on the site.
Shawneetown Bank, Old Shawneetown, Gallatin County. This three-story building built in 1839 is the state’s oldest bank building. After the Flood of 1937, Shawneetown residents were forced to relocate the entire city. When the last bank occupant left in 1942, the property was deeded to the state.
Chicago Landmarks Ordinance, Chicago, Cook County. Due to a Jan. 30 appellate court ruling, the city’s 41-year-old ordinance is operating under a cloud. The court said the ordinance’s criteria for landmark designation were “vague” and sent the case back to the trial court for review. The city and various historic preservation groups want the Illinois Supreme Court to overturn the decision.
