Name This Peoria Landmark

The building of many cool and non-standard sized doors, at the edge of I74 in downtown Peoria. It’s also known as the Peoria Women’s Club headquarters, 301 NE Madison, built in 1894. (this is the door on the far left-hand side of the building facing Fayette St.)

I was surprised to find very little information on this group, which was founded in 1886. A google search brings up their home page with the tag-line “build for women by women”, but the site goes nowhere. The cache doesn’t either. So much for the theory of “once it’s on the web it’s there forever.”

The most complete source of information is listed on HistoricPeoria.com. I encourage you to read it.

Mapgirl, maybe you can take this image and superimpose your family portrait over it.

In the interest of National Security, and mostly at the urging of my wife who doesn’t want any black suits hauling me away, I took this photo down. Of note was the small gun portal in the side rear window, and the fact that the middle seat door was not completely closed. I won’t get into what was on the roof, but it was quite interesting indeed.

Just for fun, try finding a picture of a decked out Secret Service Chevy Suburban. I couldn’t find many, and none that looked like what I had, which leads me to believe…

By the way- I did not take the photo- it was a friend of a frequent commenter.

Woodruff Park, at Grant Street, just off Adams. [map]

PeoriaHistory.com says this: 

WOODRUFF PARK
Foot of Grant Street, Peoria

Has sulphur springs outlet in a ravine.

Currently there is one ball field (shown) and a green area that fronts the river.  I took this photo from the third base side dugout on a sloppy morning that required me to later take off my shoes at the door.  Apparently it’s a popular hangout for the geese (or whatever these birds are, I’m no bird expert).  There were literally hundreds of them, and they weren’t scared of me walking around; infact they gave me the cold shoulder.  It reminded me of my college years.

I suppose this could be up for debate. Is it “SCSI” or the “old champion buiding”? I’m not real familiar with either, but this place gets my vote for best roof-line in Peoria.

Champian Manufacturing Industries, Inc. lists their address as 6021 N. Galena Road and claim to be “one of the oldest producers of factory made galvandized furnace pipe, duct, and fittings.”

BURL is mostly correct in that it’s near Garner Ln and Rt 29. Technically, I was in the parking lot and my back was against another warehouse to get this angle.

So I wouldn’t forget the name and have to drive across town to find it, I took this photo:

I don’t get to this area of town too often, so if anyone would like to add or correct my facts, please do.

The Bowen Building on the old Peoria State Hospital Grounds in Bartonville.

The original building was a grand disaster. It was octogonal in shape with wings extending out from the center octogon capable of ‘indefinite expansion’. Unfortunately it was rife with problems- shoddy planning and shoddy workmanship, not to mention being built on top of a sinking coal mine shaft. It was torn down. (check out this photo of the original building, though!)

This institution was founded in 1895 and named the “Illinois Asylum for the Incurable Insane.” It officially opened in 1902 with Dr. George A. Zeller as it’s superintendent. In 1907, at Dr. Zeller’s urging, it was renamed the “Illinois General Asylum for the Insane”, removing the word “Incurable”. Two years later, all state asylums were renamed and this received the name “Peoria State Hospital”.

Though the Bowen Building did house some patients, its primary purpose was that of nurses housing.

The Peoria State Hospital closed in 1973. The city of Bartonville acquired all of the property in 1983 and redeveloped it into the industrial park that exists today, though only a handful of the over 60 original buildings still stand. The Bowen Building is the most obvious testament to what used to be.

For more information on Dr. Zeller and the Peoria State Hospital, I highly recommend the book “Asylum Light: Stories From The Dr. George A. Zeller Era and Beyond.” I picked mine up at Barnes & Noble. Dr. Zeller was an amazing man, and the great work that went on here, as documented in this book, is truly inspiring.

Some of the better references available on the web:

[ecology of absence]
[Save The Bowen]
[IlExploration] - alot of photos, including the inside of the Bowen (for those who want to relive some of their daring teenage years)
[WIU Library] - type “Peoria State Hospital” into the search window for digitized scans of historic photos.
[Historic Peoria]
[Prairie Ghosts] 

Commonly, but mistakenly, known as the nurses housing, these were actually the patients housing. It was known as the “cottage plan” which consisted of many small dormatory style houses, with the over-riding theme of making the “insane” feel comfortable and at home instead of the prevailing thought of the time of chaining, whipping and beating the insane into submission. These were orignally built with wrought iron fences and gating covering the windows, which Dr. Zeller ordered removed per his compassionate style of freedom (aside- they were later used to build an on premises zoo covering over an acre).

Commenter Tony says these buildings were collectively called the ‘E’ buildings because of their shape. I believe this is cottage D-1.

Vonster says it looks like a Balkin Prison Exercise Yard. As I walked around, I felt like I was staring at the remnants of a WWII allied bombing raid…

This is across the street and directly north of the Bowen Building. I am standing on the red tiled floor of the ‘dining room’ and to the right is what I believe are the kitchen and bakery. From looking at an old map, this area also held the laundry house (which should be the building on the left-hand side) and the sewing room (possibly the building on the right-hand side, though it seems slightly large)… unfortunately, matching up old maps with today’s reality is not always easy or accurate.

More insight to this fascinating place is welcome and encouraged.