Belleville Illinois Historical Walking or Driving Tour

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This historic Belleville building dates to 1913, when it opened as the Washington Theatre and featured vaudeville acts and movies. An open-air theater was built on the south half of the lot, behind the theater building by 1917, with the stage along Washington St. Washington Theatre became Illinois Theater in 1938 and continued to show movies until 1955. Washington Theatre is one of the dozens of historical buildings within the Blair Historic District, covering nine blocks in downtown Belleville west of Illinois Street. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. The owner has established their medical accounting business offices in the building and offers six additional commercial suites for leasing.

2. Belleville Turner Hall

The massive brick building at the southwest corner of N. 1st St. and W. A St. is Belleville Turner Hall, completed in 1923. It was the largest Turner Hall in North America when it was finished. Turner clubs originated in Germany and promoted a healthy body and mind. You can still see the panels lettered "BELLEVILLE TURNERS" above entrances along both streets. The building was converted into a Y.M.C.A. in 1960 and used until 2005; a pool addition was built along Main St. in 1964. Some of the ground floor spaces in the renovated building now contain legal offices and a jewelry valuation business (Artigem). Turner Hall is a contributing building in the Blair Historic District, a ten-block area west of Illinois St. in the heart of Belleville, listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

3. Belleville Post Office (District 118 Board of Education)

This historic limestone-clad building at the corner of W. A St. and N. 1st St. was built in 1911 and was home to the Belleville Post Office when it opened on November 11th, 1911, nearly 100 years after the first post office opened in Belleville. James Knox Taylor was the building's architect and the structure is now a contributing part of the Blair Historic District, listed in the National Register in 2015. The district covers nine blocks roughly between W. Washington, Illinois or 1st, W. C, and 3rd streets. The former Belleville Post Office now holds offices of the Board of Education for Public School District 118. The current location of the Belleville Post Office is several blocks away, at 120 W. Washington St.

4. Heinzelman Brothers Carriage Works (Carriage House Place Apts.)

This orange brick building was home to the Heinzelman Brothers Carriage Works in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company was founded in 1857 by John A. Heinzelman and Henry Timken, and this building was constructed for the business in 1874 on the site of their previous which the company had utilized since 1863. The sons of Heinzelman took over the business in 1866; three grandsons operated the business from 1892 to 1917. By 1951, the building was used by the Belleville Casket Company. The structure has been renovated to hold low-rent senior apartments known as Carriage House Place. The building is a contributing part of the Belleville Historic District and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

5. Philharmonic Hall

This historic one-story brick building was built in 1874 and housed one of the first kindergartens in the United States, organized by Belleville women who formed the Kindergarten Association. The kindergarten was held here until the 1890s when the building was sold. The Philharmonic Society of Belleville then acquired the building and made a number of changes to the structure, including a rear addition. The Philharmonic Society began in Belleville in 1866 and still operates from the building. Philharmonic Hall is also a contributing building in the Belleville Historic District which has been listed in the National Register since 1976.

6. Conrad Bornman House (Labor & Industry Museum)

The little brick building on the corner of North Church St. and East B St. in Belleville began as the Conrad Bornman House. The oldest part of the house dates to around 1837, when Bornman bought the lot in the young town and built a 2.5-room house with a basement. Bornman sold the house in 1840 to a shoemaker, Charles Born, who had recently emigrated from Germany. The house was added onto in 1870 and 1913 and was almost demolished before the building was saved by local efforts in the 1990s. It now holds the Labor & Industry Museum, open on Saturdays or by appointment.

7. Moritz Dobschutz House (Victorian Home Museum)

The St. Clair County Historical Society (SCCHS) operates the Victorian Home Museum at 701 E. Washington St. The house was constructed around 1866 for Moritz Dobschutz, a prominent local businessman and German immigrant. The SCCHS bought the mansion in 1963, renovated the house, and opened the museum in 1968. The house is furnished as it would have looked in Victorian times when lived in by an upper-class family. The former Doschutz house also serves as the headquarters of the SCCHS, including offices, archives, and a research library. The Moritz Dobschutz House is one of many nineteenth-century buildings within the Belleville Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

8. Gustave Koerner House

The Gustave Koerner House, at the corner of Abend St. and Mascoutah Ave., dates to 1854 to 1855. It replaced an 1849 house which burned down. Gustave and his family lived in the house on Abend St. for forty-seven years. Koerner served in the Illinois House of Representatives and as Minister to Spain. He was a personal friend of Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln. The Gustave Koerner House became a National Register-listed property in 2004. There is an historical marker on the lawn by the Abend St. sidewalk. As of 2022, non-profits are restoring the vacant house to become a museum on Koerner.

9. Moses Carter House (Grafted Wine Bar & Lounge)

The mansion at 310 E. Washington St. is one of the oldest surviving houses in Belleville and dates to around 1857. It was the home of Moses Carter, the wealthy first dentist in Belleville, until his death in 1910. The house was greatly enlarged around the late 1860s, when the Italianate style tower was built. The mansion was the home of banker Arthur Eidman by the 1920s. The building was converted into ten apartments in the 1940s by realtor John A. Johnson. Attorney Paul Storment purchased the building in the 1960s and revamped the interior into law offices. The present owners have created a wine bar in part of the mansion while retaining the historical details of the building.

10. Hotel Belleville

The six-story brick building on the public square at S. Illinois St. was built as the Hotel Belleville from 1929 to 1931 and opened in May 1931. The Art Deco style building served as a luxury hotel for three decades before it was converted by the Catholic Diocese of Belleville into an assisted living facility named Meredith Home. Hotel Belleville was listed as one of Landmarks Illinois' Most Endangered sites in 2014. Preservationists' efforts helped save the building from demolition. The building is being renovated to contain affordable apartments for seniors and has been rechristened Lofts on the Square. Hotel Belleville was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

This Tour is a Driving or Biking Tour.

Belleville Illinois Historical Walking or Driving Tour

Created by Laurie Paonessa on December 10th 2022, 2:37:11 am.

This tour has been viewed 1827 times.

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Description

This relatively short work or drive explores the history of Belleville through ten landmarks including historic hotels, downtown buildings, museums, and stately homes. The tour can be enjoyed by starting at the Washington Theatre, or you can hit the reverse button and start at the former Hotel Belleville on the south side of the public square. Either way, you'll see ten buildings showcasing 19th and early 20th-century Belleville including historic houses (some are now museums), a former factory, gymnasium, theater, post office, and the home of a 150+year old musical organization that once housed one of the first kindergartens in America.

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Belleville Illinois Historical Walking or Driving Tour

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