Name This Peoria Landmark

Peoria Area Convention & Visitors Bureau via Weather.com:

The Grand View Drive Park upper entrance begins at Prospect Road in Peoria Heights (formerly Prospect Heights) and follows the bluff line from altitude 779′ above sea level for two miles. At this point it rapidly descends to its lower entrance at Adams Street in Peoria at altitude 450′ above sea level.

Ground was broken for Grand View Drive on October 14, 1903; the Drive was completed in 1906. The small park surrounding Grand View Pavilion, together with the cement bridge at the foot of the hill, were conceived as elements of a dramatic lower entrance to Grand View Drive. The charming Pavilion, constructed in 1919, reflects the Prairie Style (with Craftsman influence) architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and his followers and presents a striking view of the Illinois River from the “narrows” to the Upper and Lower Peoria Lakes. A playground, picnic grounds and restrooms are located adjacent to the Pavilion. Picnic tables are also set along some of the scenic views.

Teddy Roosevelt came to Peoria in October 1910 and was driven to the Peoria Country Club, which is located midway along Grand View Drive. On the way back to town, one of the men apologized for the condition of the roadway, whereupon President Roosevelt gazed out over the beautiful expanse of the valley below and remarked, “What difference does it make? I have traveled all over the world and this is the World’s Most Beautiful Drive.” In May of 1927, Peoria’s first radio station adopted the call letters of WMBD, reminiscent of the first letters in the phrase of Teddy Roosevelt’s remark.

In 1996, Grand View Drive Park was placed on the National Historic Register designated as the “only linear park” to receive that distinction. The Peoria Country Club, along with many beautiful, architecturally significant homes located along the roadway, complement the panorama of Grand View Drive.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 9th, 2008 at 10:05 am and is filed under Grandview Drive, Peoria Heights, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.