127 – Peoria Women’s League
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.
February 1st, 2007 at 5:32 pm
A door I’m not sure I want to enter.
February 1st, 2007 at 9:44 pm
The Stairway To Heaven, for us invalid types.
February 1st, 2007 at 11:02 pm
Nasty curveball PI… swing and a miss.
BURL
February 2nd, 2007 at 6:48 am
St. Bernard’s Community Center in Peoria???
February 2nd, 2007 at 1:11 pm
The old Women’s Club downtown.
February 2nd, 2007 at 4:53 pm
What is the old Women’s Club downtown?
February 2nd, 2007 at 4:57 pm
http://www.historicpeoria.com/entry.php?eid=109&catid=4&cid=1
February 2nd, 2007 at 10:04 pm
I always wanted to have a picture of me, my mom and sister under the Peoria Women’s Club sign.
m.
February 3rd, 2007 at 9:14 pm
I’d superimpose a picture of my family, but we all have a phobia of being locked behind iron bars.
February 4th, 2007 at 2:07 am
I’ve catered a few events here. The main floor is really nice, well maintained and you feel like you’ve slipped back to the early 1900’s as the building maintains that look. But the amazing part of the building is the theater upstairs. If I remember correctly, it seats about 400. It sports intricately carved curved back wooded chairs and spring loaded seats. Remember this was built in the late 1800’s. It has a vaudeville stage with the back of the stage slightly higher than the front and a small orchestra pit. However, the lead paint is peeling badly and I was told it is a six figure job to return it to glory.