Contributor

Website

Peoria Riverfront Museum opened in 2012 and offers 80,000 square feet of exhibit space dedicated to history, art, and science. The museum includes a planetarium, interactive natural history and science exhibits, and a theater with a screen that rivals IMAX theaters. The art collection includes a sculpture garden as well as 16,000 works of art that are on display in rotating exhibits.

Peoria Riverfront Museum

This walking tour starts at Peoria's historic Rock Island Depot and includes landmarks such as the Père Marquette, Gale House, and Central National Bank Building. The walking tour also includes stops at the Peoria Riverfront Museum and the headquarters of the Peoria Historical Society where residents and visitors can learn even more. In addition to this short downtown walking tour, be sure to use Clio to discover some of the city's landmarks beyond the downtown area such as the John C. Flanagan House Museum, Pettingill-Morron House, Peoria State Hospital, and the African American Hall of Fame Museum of Peoria which is located within the John C Proctor Recreation Center.

<div>The two-story Rock Island Depot and Freight House opened in 1900 situated next to the Illinois River. Thanks to preservationists, the building&nbsp;serves as a monument to the importance of the railway to Peoria (and elsewhere) during the late nineteenth century and into the early twentieth century.&nbsp; The depot largely served a branch of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad that delivered goods and passengers to Peoria.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Railway expansion, primarily attached in the Midwest to the growth of Chicago and its hinterlands, as well as western expansionism, compelled engineers to construct bridges across the Mississippi and later the Missouri (necessary for the famous Trans-Continental Railroad). Development of those bridges helped numerous other Midwestern towns connect to major railway branches and, in essence, the Western U.S. (and beyond). As such, bridge building during the 1850s provided a significant economic boost to Peoria, which not only took advantage of its Illinois River location but as an increasingly thriving railway hub.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Peoria &amp; Bureau Valley was the first railroad to arrive when track was completed and service began&nbsp;on November 7, 1854. By 1880, ten railroads traveled through Peoria. However, the rapid rise in railway lines led to a disorganized web of tracks and, as a consequence, notable congestion. As a result, the Peoria &amp; Pekin Union (P&amp;PU) Railway, which emerged from an 1880 merger of four of the city’s six railroads, decided to construct a modernized train yard; the Peoria Union Station opened in 1882.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>With a new yard and modern facilities, the railway industry growth accelerated so that by 1900 railway congestion yet again grew problematic. By the turn of the century, a dozen railroads operated in Peoria (including some sizable operations that had formed as mergers of smaller rail companies). The congestion grew partly because Chicago also suffered from overcrowding of railroads and Peoria was viewed as an alternative hub, including passengers moving east and west throughout the country.</div><div><br></div><div>This depot was erected in 1900 by the Peoria &amp; Rock Island Lines Railroad (P &amp; RI) to serve as the third Rock Island passenger depot. Three years later (1903), the much larger Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railway, a multi-state railroad, acquired P &amp; RI and thus the P &amp; RI transitioned into a branch line of the much larger railroad line.</div><div><br></div><div>For many years, the now-historic depot functioned as a major hub, with as many as 21 ticket agents working 24 hours a day, handling&nbsp; 32 daily arrivals and departures. Though passengers routinely used the P &amp; RI, the railway specialized in freight transportation to and from the Great Plains. Much of that freight involved rye and barley from the Great Plains used in Peoria's flourishing distillation industry. During the early 20th century, Peoria's distilleries produced a significant share of the country's blended whiskey, much of it shipped to various points in the Midwest and in western towns throughout the Plains.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Prohibition and the Great Depression had a profound, negative effect on Peoria's economy and subsequent railway traffic. And, similar to any story of railways in the U.S., the depot and trains grew less significant as auto and air travel evolved. Also, sharing the story of many historic train depots, the Rock Island Depot and Freight House has transitioned into a facility that mainly supports the restaurants and bars.&nbsp;</div>

Built in 1900, this historic Rock Island depot has been restored and serves as a reminder of the significance of railways in the Midwest during the last half of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. For Peoria, railways were linked to its burgeoning industries from the production of farm implements to distilleries. The river and rail connections near this depot connected the city to Chicago and other urban areas and was central to Peoria's population growth and economic development in these years. The former rail hub is now home to retail establishments and restaurants. 

Rock Island Depot and Freight House (A.K.A. River Station)

<div>The Central Bank Building (1914-15) stands as a ten-story office building designed by D.H. Burnham &amp; Company featuring a three-part commercial block form constructed in steel and concrete-framing with Classical, Renaissance Revival ornamentation.&nbsp; Burnham did not see the building to its fulfillment; he died two years before its completion. At the time of his passing, his Chicago-based architectural firm was the largest in the world.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The banking building emerged during the heart of a period when Peoria experienced notable, consistent population growth. The population of Peoria increased from a little more than 40,000 in 1890 to 105,000 in 1940, with more if one includes nearby towns. At the time, Peoria was known for its rail and river transportation as well as a host of bars and liquor production. Liquor manufacturers took advantage of the railways and&nbsp;Illinois River, as well as the&nbsp;town's proximity to corn farms, which could be used in making grain alcohol. Many of the city's largest houses were built by those in the town's liquor industry, and banks benefited from their success.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In addition to supporting a thriving town, the three-tier building enjoys unique architectural features. Eye-catching pilasters with granite bases dominate the lowest floors along with storefront windows, and green tiles. Yellow brick and double-hung, square windows stand out as the main features above on the middle and upper levels. In 1948, the original Classical main entrance was remodeled to include green granite panels up to the second-story window sills, providing the building with an updated, modernized appearance.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>All told, the building stands as a reminder of the rise in an urban skyscraper during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with Daniel Burnham an exceptionally significant part of that movement. From the Gilded Age into the Progressive Era, banks grew in popularity including in Peoria where liquor industries and other rising business grew as the population grew.&nbsp;</div>

Peoria's Central National Bank Building was constructed between 1913 and 1814 and designed by the architectural firm of Daniel Burnham. At the time of its construction, Burnham's firm was one of the largest in the world. However, Burnham himself had died two years before its completion. The ten-story building is indicative of the rapid growth of Peoria between the turn of the century and the early 1900s. At the time, Peoria's leading industries were connected to agriculture including milling, the production of farm equipment, and over twenty distilleries. 

Central National Bank Building (Peoria, IL)

<div>Opening in 1929, a few weeks before the stock market crash associated with the beginning of the Great Depression, The Young Women's Christians Association (YWCA) building stood as the home to the Peoria chapter that had been founded in 1893. The local chapter raised $350,000 in only eight days in 1928 after concluding they had outgrown their original location.&nbsp; The building featured an auditorium, swimming pool, chapel, several club rooms, and eighty-six residence quarters.</div><div><br></div><div>The 1893 founding of the YWCA emerged at a time when Peoria experienced its first period of industrial growth and concurrent population growth. While industrial workers primarily consisted of men, some women not only worked in factories but also as teachers, clerks, and other professional positions, many of whom were unmarried. Community leaders, notably associated with local churches, felt it necessary to create a social support group that would help women acclimate to "big city" life and, they felt, keep them from falling prey to whey they deemed as negative influences.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Mrs. David McCulloch receives credit for establishing the local chapter of the YWCA, an organization with roots dating back to 1855 in England. The YWCA, similar to settlement homes that grew popular during the Progressive Era, offered social services as well as instruction on typing, sewing, finding employment, and Christian values.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Nearly 300 women joined the YWCA when it opened in 1893, and that quickly increased to 625 by 1895. In fact, the organization gained tremendous popularity so that by the 1920s some of the wealthiest women in Peoria joined for the sake of contributing to the community (inspired in part by the work done by Peoria women during World War I through Red Cross and working for local industries).&nbsp; The group grew out of its facility by 1928 and through contributions from its wealthy members and the community, raised $350,000 in eight days to build what is now the historic YWCA Building.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The 1929 building contained a chapel, tearoom, swimming pool, dance hall, club rooms and enough residential quarters to house eighty-six women. However, the move to the new building coincided with the organization's peak in terms of finances and participation. Hence, garnering funds to maintain a modern, expensive facility stressed the organization, notably as the Great Depression arrived only a month after the building opened its doors. Nonetheless, the local YWCA continued to host a variety of classes ranging from sewing and cooking to writing and typing, as well as psychology and Christian education.</div><div><br></div><div>By the 1950s and 1960s, the organization changed to allow married women, but also actively sought to have Jewish and African American women join, which speaks to the era's social climate. However, the rise in feminism during the '50s and '60s did not have as much effect, initially, on YWCA life as preparing women for marriage remained one of its primary disciplines. Furthermore, the YWCA nationally and in Peoria openly stood in opposition to the proposed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).&nbsp; But, then, in 1973 the national YWCA dramatically changed its position and not only support the ERA, but offered financial assistance to women getting abortions -- a radical change from its original Christian influence; the Peoria chapter was slower to accept those changes, but opinions were divided among its members.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>By the 1980s and into first few years of the&nbsp;twenty-first century, membership declined and the historic building, which found itself located to the busy and loud Interstate 74, grew old and insufficient. The YWCA moved out of the landmark building in 2003 and into a new facility; however the organization's lack of membership created severe financial issues leading to the eventual disestablishment of the organization in 2012.&nbsp; The new facility transitioned to a community center (Lakeview Recreation Center) while New Hope Apartments, designed for low-income residents, took over the historic location.&nbsp;</div>

The Peoria YWCA was founded in 1893 and the organization's growth reflected that of the larger city and women's organizations at the turn of the century. Membership growth led to the decision to construct this large facility in 1929. The building included residents quarters, a swimming pool, classrooms, a dance hall, and space for a variety of programs aimed at instruction and uplift. In its early years, the YWCA was both a religious and a social organization that reflected the gendered expectations of the era which included programs designed to helped prepare women for marriage and motherhood. The YWCA also helped women learn skills that could help them find employment with courses that taught marketable domestic skills as cooking or sewing. The YWCA also offered a variety of academic courses such as literature, composition, and psychology as well as courses in mathematics and stenography that helped members find work. 

YWCA Building (Peoria, IL)

<div>The Judge Jacob Gale House features the Greek Revival design of construction and served as the residence for Judge Jacob Gale. The home was completed in&nbsp;either 1839 or 1840, a mere five years after Peoria was surveyed allowing for city planning and the layout of the community's first streets. Jacob Gale contributed to Peoria's growth as a businessperson as well as an attorney and later judge. He was also a civil servant who was a city&nbsp;councilman and served two terms as mayor.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Peoria grew into a city in the decades that followed Jacob Gale's arrival from New Hampshire in 1834 at the age of twenty. Though the frontier town possessed a courthouse, jail, hotel, and a few other structures, it was during the year he arrived when city planners hired a surveyor and developed a true city plan including streets, a downtown region, and ports along the river. The city of Peoria became incorporated in 1845.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Gale first found employment at a hardware store while he studied law on the side. By 1837, he had was admitted to the bar for the State of Illinois.&nbsp; He proceeded to open a law office with Horace P. Johnson for nearly two years and then followed by partnering with Onslow Peters to form the firm of Peters &amp; Gale, which lasted several years until Judge John D. Caton appointed Gale to the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The City Clerk position then became an elected seat and Gale went on to serve two more (four-year) terms. He followed that with an election win for Circuit Judge.&nbsp; During the years 1848-49 and then again (during the war) from 1864-65, he held the position of mayor.&nbsp; He also served for a time as School Superintendent and as a member of the Board of Education.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>After his time in public office and civil service, he turned to the world of private business, becoming Secretary of Peoria Light, Gas, and Coke Co for almost two decades.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In short, to view Gale's historic home is to first see a home erected during Peoria's early urban history. Second, its the home of a man whose history in the town is completely interwoven into Peoria's history. He arrived before the town enjoyed roads, let alone incorporation.&nbsp;</div>

Constructed in 1840, this historic home was built for prominent Peoria citizen, Jacob Gale. The property is one of the oldest homes in Peoria and was constructed only a few years after the town was first surveyed and the future town was laid out with roads and a future downtown area. Gale worked in private business as well as a lawyer, served on the city council, and also became one of the town's first mayors. He also served as the school superintendent and as the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Circuit Judge.

Judge Jacob Gale House

<div>The Madison Theater arrived in Peoria at a time when the U.S. entered into a decade marked by good economic times, eventually known as the Roaring '20s, which resulted in a prolific consumption culture and also offered many U.S. residents an opportunity to spend money on items of leisure, including movie houses and theaters. Indeed, the 1920s might be considered the era of the movie house and theater.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Similar to many theaters built during the era, the building features a host of lavish designs and ornate features. The Madison enjoys Italian Renaissance exterior, tripled arched windows, and a lobby with a domed ceiling.&nbsp; Like most theaters built during the early twentieth century, The Madison opened as a vaudeville theater before slowly transitioning to silent films and then motion pictures ("talkies") by 1930. The Madison remained a popular destination through the middle part of the twentieth century before suffering from decline and eventually struggling to compete with modern, "multiplex" theaters.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>A 1980s renovation helped the theater survive, but it wasn't until the years of 1996-2002, when Jay Goldberg Events &amp; Entertainment group revived the theater, that The Madison again thrived. Under the group's direction, the theater hosted more than 200 concerts including performances from such acts as Ray Charles, The Smashing Pumpkins, and REO Speedwagon. However, despite the resurgence in popularity provided by the live music events, the theater finally closed its doors in 2003.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>A significant fire overtook the theater in June 2016. As a result,&nbsp; the City of Peoria filed a condemnation notification for the building. But, repairs made to the building seemed to have saved the building for now. The future of the building remains unclear, though. Until then, it stands as a reminder of a Roaring '20s U.S. Culture that, for those with means, adored its theater and a late 20th century culture that embraced rock and pop-culture music performances.</div>

Built in 1920, the Madison Theater opened during an era when many Americans benefited from a growing economy which created myriad new entertainment options for city dwellers, including going to the theater to see a touring vaudeville show. The Madison Theater featured an ornate Italian Renaissance exterior along with tripled arched windows. Theaters of the era were built in grand fashion with ornate details and amenities. The popularity of vaudeville slowly gave way to films, and the Madison followed suit by showing more movies over time. While many downtown theaters were demolished, the Madison was saved in the 1980s and renovated in the 1990s to offer a place for live theater and concerts, including a show by Ray Charles. In 2016, the building was severely damaged by fire and while many local citizens are committed to historic preservation, the future of the Madison remains uncertain. 

Madison Theater (Peoria, IL)

<div>Built in 1926, the Père&nbsp;Marquette Hotel opened its doors during the height of the Roaring '20s era, and its location across from across the street from the Madison Theater building notes the popularity of theater life during that same period.&nbsp; The hotel name pays homage to Father Père Marquette (or Jaques Marquette), who explored much of what is now the Eastern Great Lakes region (including along the Illinois River near Peoria) and was part of the first European party to winter in what is now Chicago.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Plans for the hotel emerged in 1924 business leaders sought to construct a first-class hotel in downtown Peoria, deemed necessary to accommodate the downtown social life, visitors, and traveling businesspersons. Much like the grand hotels of New York and Chicago, designs for the hotel included several lavish,&nbsp; ornate, and modern characteristics. Guests immediately entered the building through a grand lobby and could attend parties in the ballroom that featured a high, domed ceiling and large, French-window mirrors. Crystal chandeliers and art pieces could also be found in several places throughout the hotel. And, guests also had the opportunity to enjoy the hotel's fine dining as it staffed world-class chefs, usually with French training.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>One art piece, in particular, speaks to the hotel's name. The&nbsp;financier&nbsp;&nbsp;commissioned George M Harding, an artist renowned for his work in Harper's Weekly and the Saturday Evening Post, to paint two murals for the hotel. Harding spent eight weeks researching the murals before starting his work, one of which detailed&nbsp;Père Marquette landing in Peoria in 1673 (then home to the Native American Pimiteoui Nation).&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The hotel did more than offer eye-catching details because it also served the town's economic needs as a convention center.&nbsp; The hotel held 14 conventions in 1927, which increased to 46 by 1935.&nbsp; Even though the 1950s and '60s, the hotel held the distinction as the largest convention center in Illinois, outside of Chicago.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The original owners managed the property until 1933, during the Great Depression, and then they sold it to a Des Moines hotel chain, who managed it until 1951. After that, it was sold to the Hilton Corporation. Since then, it has changed hands several times. Most recently it operated as part of the Marriott chain, but in 2018 it was sold again to a new group. Regardless of the changes, the hotel operated as an important component of Peoria's business and social history for decades. Numerous celebrities and dignitaries stayed or visited the hotel; Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Ford stayed in the hotel while Reagan and Carter spoke there.&nbsp;</div>

The Père Marquette (1926) stands fourteen stories in downtown Peoria, Illinois, and features 288 guest rooms. The hotel arose during the Roaring '20s when city leaders and prominent entrepreneurs routinely sought to showcase its city through grand, lavish hotels and magnificent theaters, Traveling businessman and guests (often wealthy) could stay at hotels and enjoy the city's social offerings. The hotel is named for the explorer Father Père (Jacques) Marquette, who not only traveled the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, but settled in Peoria during the late seventeenth century. He was also the first European to winter in what is now Chicago. A mural of his Peoria landing hung in the hotel lobby. 

Pere Marquette Hotel (Most recently, Peoria Marriott Pere Marquette)

<p>Marquette Apartments were built in 1924 to help meet the need for housing in downtown Peoria, as an abundance of workers sought to live near to their place of employment. The building has a three-story mixed-use layout, with commercial space on the first floor and residential apartment on the top two levels. </p><p><br /></p><p>During the middle part of the 1920s, Peoria suffered from a single-family housing shortage in its downtown region despite the proliferation of hotel, bank, government, and commercial property construction. Thus, Peoria residents routinely lived in parts of the city removed from the many places of employment located in the central business district. As the nation's economy boomed in the "Roaring '20s," there also existed increased acceptance of apartment living. Indeed, an average of 226,000 multiple-family dwelling units arose in the United States each year from 1924-1928. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Marquette Apartments arose during that period (1924) and concurrently helped fill the downtown housing void. As well, the apartment complex arrived at a time when Peoria was in the midst of planning its downtown region to better handle traffic (the first traffic light went up in 1924). The Marquette apartment complex appealed to unmarried, white-collar workers (including women) with its inexpensive dwellings, somewhat mirroring that of places like Manhattan and Chicago. Meanwhile, the first floor offered space for commercial use such as retail space. </p><p><br /></p><p>It should also be noted that while Prohibition had a profound effect on local farmers tied to Peoria's once prolific distillation and brewing industry, many of them found new success selling such commodities as corn syrup and cattle feed. The move to help Peoria's roadways coincided with 1923 Hull Waterway Bill, which provided funds to construct a system of locks and dams that kept the Illinois River open for easy navigation to move agricultural products to the nation (and to the world). So, while it is easy to associate any local economy with the broad nature of the Roaring '20s, it must be recognized that the development of downtown Peoria also represents the towns ability to adapt. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Marquette Apartments were designed not for wealthy nor for the poor, but for those working at banks, hotels, government offices, and other white-collar positions, which speaks volumes about the economic climate of Peoria during the 1920s. The development of the business district in Peoria did not initially come with a housing plan, thus apartments like the Marquette complex filled a need, while also allowing for retail and commercial space on its lower floors. Hence, the building stands today as a reminder of a changing economy and Peoria's engineered urban development. </p>

The Marquette Apartments were built in 1924 at a time when Peoria was in the midst of thoughtfully planning its downtown region. After an influx of government buildings and businesses, such as banks and hotels, arrived in the downtown area, workers sought to live closer to work -- the Marquette Apartments filled that need. 

Marquette Apartments

<div>The triangular "flatiron" structure, known as the&nbsp; Kickapoo Building, was built by the Anheuser-Busch company in 1911, which is demonstrated by the logo that still adorns the top of the building.&nbsp; It's a reminder of a pre-prohibition era when breweries were permitted to own its own saloons, and also points to a time in Peoria when distilling, brewing, and taverns accounted for a significant portion of the town's economy.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Investors and speculators helped turn Peoria into a viable city along the Illinois River, and that included numerous entrepreneurs who took advantage of the water and bountiful farms to open distilleries and breweries. The arrival of the railroad only served to accelerate the growth of the spirits production by opening up markets from New York and Chicago to much of the Great Plains. Altogether, the brewing and distilling industry produced the greatest amount of internal revenue tax for any town in the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Anheuser-Busch (of St. Louis) had opened a branch in Peoria in 1889, and its success by 1911 inspired the company to strengthen its presence in Peoria and compete with the eleven distilleries, fourteen breweries, and more than 300 saloons.&nbsp; Thus, the company built the Kickapoo Building, designed to function as a purpose-built brew house.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Prohibition and the Great Depression made the Kickapoo less feasible for Anheuser-Busch, leaving it to change hands among owners for decades after Prohibition. Indeed, during its century of existence, the building has operated as a hotel, restaurant, jewelry store, auto parts store, and apartments. In fact, the Kickapoo name comes from the hotel located on the second floor from 1931 to the 1970s.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, the flatiron description is derived from the building shape that resembles an iron used in homes to press clothes.&nbsp; Due to Peoria's grid design that aligned with its geographic form created by its location along the Illinois River, flatiron buildings were popular in Peoria during the early part of the twentieth century.&nbsp; Architect Albert Keifer chose to employ a Classical Revival design for the Kickapoo building, along with features resembling German Renaissance architecture.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Kickapoo building thus remains significant for both its design and for its original purpose. The shape speaks to a popular type of architecture that worked with Peoria's road network, shaped in part because of Peoria's location along the Illinois River. And, its original owner/builder reminds us of Peoria's burgeoning distilling and brewing industries that existed prior to Prohibition. Last, the Kickapoo name also notes how numerous businesses moved into the building after Prohibition (a period that altered Peoria's economy), including the Kickapoo hotel on its second floor.&nbsp;</div>

The Anheuser-Busch name adorns the top of the historic, flatiron-shaped Kickapoo Building, marking its original purpose when it was built in 1911. Peoria emerged as town known for its burgeoning distilling and brewing industries, and Anheuser-Busch beer company sought a place to strengthen its presence in the growing city. Because of Peoria's position along the Illinois River, its street layout provided for many triangular plots of land. The flatiron building -- shaped like an iron used in a home, became a popular choice, and that includes the Kickapoo Building built by the brewery. The Kickapoo names comes from a hotel that occupied the second floor in its later years. 

Kickapoo Building (A.K.A. Anheuser-Busch Building)

<div>The Cumberland Presbyterian Church (1856), also known as the Peoria Musicians Club, stands as the city's oldest standing church building and serves as a monument to when Peoria slowly transitioned from a trading port to one of an urban community (the non-native population grew from 1,500 in 1840 to a little more than 14,000 in 1860). The structure also points to a time in American religious history tied to the Great Awakening; the Cumberland Presbyterian Congregation broke off from Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) becuase the Cumberland group (mainly located in Kentucky and Tennessee) ordained clergy without a formal, doctrinal education.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The First Great Awakening led to a division among North American Presbyterians, with a new faction forming that believed strongly in revivalistic approaches instead of the more traditional, doctrinal-based methods. Though the two sides managed to co-exist after a brief, formal split (1741 - 1758), the Second Great Awakening and the reality of frontier life led to the creation of the Cumberland Presbyterians. In short, formally educated (or highly trained) clergy were far an few between in places such as Kentucky and Tennessee. Thus, Presbyterians near the Cumberland Gap region drew on the revival-style principals and ordained clergy without formal training. Consequently, the church's governing body, the Kentucky Synod, dissolved the Cumberland Presbyterian chapter and expelled many of its members. Hence, the Cumberland Presbyterian operated as its own congregation rather than as a chapter of the Kentucky Synod (and PCUSA).</div><div><br></div><div>An understanding of the Cumberland Presbyterian philosophy can be noted in the book, History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church by B.W. McDonald:&nbsp;</div><div><br></div>"THERE have been highly educated men who could not read. In times and countries where education in the schools was impossible, strong native intellects learned from men, from events, from nature. Daniel Boone wrote, 'Cilled a bar," and perhaps never in his life knew any better orthography ; but if a profound knowledge of militar)' strategy, if lightning-like grasp of resources for military emergencies, if a far-seeing anticipation of the enemy's movements, whether that enemy were Indian, French, or English, if an intellect that never made a mistake in any of the myriad military emergencies in which it was called to act, entitle a man to rank high among thinkers, then very few of the sons of West Point have ever been his equals."&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>It should not go unnoticed that there's a Danial Boone reference in that paragraph.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Cumberland Presbyterian Congregation arrived in Peoria during the 1850s, but they did not make much of a local impression, disbanding in 1863. The St. John's Episcopal Church then took ownership of the building followed by several church denominations such as the First German Baptist Church, North Sheridan Baptist Church of Peoria and the In Agudas Achim Congregation. Finally, in 1913, the Peoria Musicians Union Local 26 moved in and remained in the building for several decades.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The structure enjoys a Greek Revival architecture; a popular design found throughout the U.S. from the 1830s through the time of the Civil War in the early 1860s. As well, the church proved to be one of Peoria's first buildings to include masonry construction.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div>

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church (1856), also known as the Peoria Musicians Club, is Peoria's oldest standing church building. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church, a splinter Presbyterian congregation, remained there only a few years before it changed hands among various faiths. In 1913, it was bought by the American Federation of Musicians Local 26. Most recently, it was the home to a bank. 

Cumberland Presbyterian Church (A.K.A. Peoria Musicians Club)

This building serves as the headquarters of the Peoria Historical Society. The Society hosts a quarterly research series, supports the maintenance of two historic homes, assists researchers and genealogists, and maintains a research library, with many of its holdings housed at Bradley Library's Special Collections Department.  

Peoria Illinois Walking Tour

Peoria Riverfront Museum

Introduction

Images

Additional Information