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

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

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.

Images

Kickapoo Building in Peoria with view of Anheuser-Busch name and logo amidst signs for the cleaners.

1911 Picture of Kickapoo Building when the 2nd floor operated at the Kickapoo Hotel. Notice the Kickapoo name is placed over the Anheuser-Busch name, but the Anheuser-Busch Eagle (logo) remains between the main window and door. Credit: Peoria Historical

2016 Photo of Kickapoo Building (secondary entrance)

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The triangular "flatiron" structure, known as the 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. 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.

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.

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. Thus, the company built the Kickapoo Building, designed to function as a purpose-built brew house.

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.

Meanwhile, the flatiron description is derived from the building shape that resembles an iron used in homes to press clothes. 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. Architect Albert Keifer chose to employ a Classical Revival design for the Kickapoo building, along with features resembling German Renaissance architecture.

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.

Sources

Bryjka, Darius. "Nomination Form: Kickapoo Building." National Register of Historic Places. nps.gov. http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/pdfs/801913.pdf

Harland Bartholomew & Associates. A Comprehensive City Plan, Peoria, Illinois. Peoria: Greater Peoria Civic Association, 1937. http://hdl.handle.net/10111/UIUCOCA:comprehensivecit00harl.

Klein, Jerry. "Made in Peoria. The Birth of an Industry." Peoria Magazine. peoriamagazines.com. January, 2011. https://www.peoriamagazines.com/ibi/2011/jan/made-peoria-birth-industry

"Peoria Illinois History." Peoria.com. Accessed May 16, 2019. https://www.peoria.com/community/history.php.

Ogg, Bryan J. Peoria Spirits: The Story of Peoria's Brewing and Distilling Industries. Peoria: Peoria Historical Society, 1996.

Photo Sources

Kickapoo Building in Peoria with view of Anheuser-Busch name and logo amidst signs for the cleaners: Photo is part of a collection located at http://stlouispatina.com/anheuser-buschkickapoo-building-peoria/.

1911 Photo from the Peoria Historical Society: Located at https://www.peoriapublicradio.org/post/peoria-s-kickapoo-building-gets-national-recognition#stream/0

2016 Photo: By Jonathunder - Own work, GFDL 1.2, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49783541

Peoria Illinois Walking Tour